Breaking: F1 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix starting grid with penalties ap…read more
Verstappen Snatches Pole in Saudi Arabia as Norris Crashes in Dramatic Q3 Session
Max Verstappen once again demonstrated his dominance under the lights of Jeddah, grabbing pole position for the 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in a thrilling qualifying session. The reigning world champion edged out McLaren’s Oscar Piastri by an ultra-slim margin of just 0.010 seconds, setting the benchmark with a blistering 1:27.294. It’s Verstappen’s second pole of the season, and with every race this year being won from the front of the grid, this could be a decisive advantage heading into Sunday’s race.
The Jeddah Corniche Circuit lived up to its reputation, delivering high-speed excitement and drama. While Verstappen’s flying lap stole headlines, a major talking point was the unfortunate Q3 crash involving Lando Norris. The McLaren driver had been in fine form through the early qualifying phases, comfortably progressing from Q1 and Q2. But as Q3 got underway, his momentum came to a sudden halt.
Norris lost the rear of his McLaren on his first timed lap, suffering a sharp snap of oversteer he couldn’t correct. The car slammed into the barriers, causing significant damage and ending his qualifying session prematurely. Thankfully, the British driver was uninjured, but he failed to set a lap time in Q3 and will line up 10th on the grid—a disappointing result considering his strong pace earlier.
With pole position in hand, Verstappen is ideally placed to extend Red Bull’s run of dominance in 2025. However, he’ll face stiff competition from Oscar Piastri, who has looked quick all weekend and came heartbreakingly close to his first pole of the year. The young McLaren driver will be looking to pounce on any opportunity at the start to get ahead of the Dutchman.
George Russell also impressed, securing third on the grid with a lap just 0.113 seconds off Verstappen’s time. His rookie teammate, Kimi Antonelli, delivered a standout performance to qualify fifth, giving Mercedes a strong double top-five start. Sandwiched between the two Silver Arrows is Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who qualified fourth, 0.376 seconds off the pace.
Carlos Sainz continued his impressive form with Williams by taking sixth place, further proving the team’s 2025 resurgence is no fluke. Lewis Hamilton, Leclerc’s teammate, will start in seventh—just behind Sainz and less than a tenth ahead of Red Bull’s second driver, Yuki Tsunoda, who claimed eighth. Tsunoda’s solid qualifying shows he’s settling well into the senior team after his promotion.
Alpine’s Pierre Gasly slotted into ninth, just ahead of the crash-stricken Norris, rounding out the top 10 for Sunday’s grid.
Full Q3 Classification:
1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 1:27.294
2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – +0.010
3. George Russell (Mercedes) – +0.113
4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – +0.376
5. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – +0.572
6. Carlos Sainz (Williams) – +0.870
7. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – +0.907
8. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) – +0.910
9. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) – +1.073
10. Lando Norris (McLaren) – No Time
There were no penalties issued after qualifying, meaning the starting order for the race will be based entirely on the on-track results.
Q2 Eliminations:
11. Alex Albon (Williams)
12. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)
13. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
14. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls)
15. Ollie Bearman (Haas)
Q1 Eliminations:
16. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
17. Jack Doohan (Alpine)
18. Nico Hülkenberg (Sauber)
19. Esteban Ocon (Haas)
20. Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber)
As the teams prepare for lights out in Jeddah, the importance of track position cannot be overstated. With pole-sitters winning every Grand Prix so far in 2025, Verstappen knows he has the upper hand. But with Piastri, Russell, and Leclerc lurking close behind, the Dutchman may not have it all his own way. Sunday’s race promises to be a dramatic showdown on one of F1’s fastest and most unforgiving street circuits. Keep your eyes on Turn 1—anything could happen.
