Verstappen takes first pole since June in Qatar

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen snatched rod position from Mercedes’ George Russell successful the last seconds of qualifying astatine the Qatar Grand Prix.

Russell had been fastest aft the first runs successful the last convention but was pipped by 0.055 seconds connected Verstappen’s last lap.

McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri took 3rd and fourth, aft the Australian led a one-two successful the sprint title earlier successful the day.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc took 5th from Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso.

Verstappen’s rod was a singular turnaround aft the Red Bull had vanished an uncompetitive eighth successful the sprint.

The world champion had complained of nary grip aliases equilibrium successful the sprint but the squad recovered a amended set-up for the main qualifying session.

The consequence was Verstappen’s first rod since the Austrian Grand Prix backmost astatine the extremity of June.

Verstappen said: “Crazy. Honestly, I besides didn’t expect that. Well done to the squad to springiness maine a car that feels a spot much connected and erstwhile the car is much together you tin push a batch harder.

“We did alteration a spot connected the car but I ne'er thought it would make specified a plaything successful performance, it felt a batch much unchangeable complete 1 thigh and that is precisely what we need.”

Russell said: “I’m emotion successful specified a groove astatine the moment, the first thigh was 1 of the champion I person ever done and for immoderate logic couldn't find immoderate much clip connected the 2nd tally and Max conscionable pipped me.

“These person been 3 really awesome races for us. Brazil a spot circumstantial pinch the bedewed qualifying but the gait successful Vegas and present was true, it’s bully to beryllium successful the operation again.”

Russell, who had an incident pinch Verstappen connected his warm-up thigh erstwhile he was blocked by the Red Bull driver and had to spell complete a kerb, said he expected a adjacent conflict betwixt the apical teams successful the expansive prix connected Sunday.

“I was really amazed by (Red Bull’s) turnaround,” Russell said. “I deliberation we’ve sewage a bully title connected our hands.

Norris, who dominated the sprint title earlier handing triumph to Piastri connected the tally to the line, was 0.252secs disconnected pole.

“Not the position we were hoping for aft yesterday and coming but the maximum we could do,” Norris said. “The thigh was beautiful good. I was beautiful happy pinch it but conscionable not speedy capable compared to the others.

“Not a batch successful it betwixt each of us, which gives america dream we tin each spell forwards. We showed bully title gait today. I did get the use of being retired beforehand and having cleanable aerial but I deliberation we still person a bully chance,

“I don’t deliberation we are arsenic speedy arsenic the Mercedes and Red Bull showed really overmuch they improved since yesterday.”

McLaren tin clinch the constructors’ title successful the expansive prix pinch 1 title still to go, but only if they decorativeness one-two and return the fastest lap.

Hamilton was 0.491secs disconnected rod but managed to divided the Ferraris, while eighth was an encouraging capacity for Alonso aft a difficult play for Aston Martin. The seasoned two-time champion was conscionable 0.21secs disconnected Sainz’s Ferrari, and 0.174secs quicker than Perez’s Red Bull.

For the Mexican, it was a amended consequence aft a dire capacity successful the sprint, which he started from the pit lane and was caught napping astatine the lights erstwhile he did not spell consecutive distant and was passed by Williams’ Franco Colapinto.

But he was still 0.905secs disconnected Verstappen and his early successful the squad remains successful doubt.