Max Verstappen shut out all the distractions surrounding his troubled Red Bull team to take pole position on Friday for Saturday’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
The three-time world champion clocked a fastest lap of 1:27.472 to outpace Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc by three-tenths of a second with his team-mate Sergio Perez, who had been on pole for the last two years, third in a tense floodlit qualifying session.
It was Verstappen’s 34th pole position and his first at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, but the day’s action was lit up by the performance of British teenager Oliver Bearman who qualified 11th for Ferrari on his competitive F1 debut.
The 18-year-old was dramatically called up earlier in the day to replace appendicitis-victim Carlos Sainz.
Fernando Alonso was a bold fourth for Aston Martin ahead of McLaren duo Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris and the two Mercedes of George Russell and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton.
Yuki Tsunoda was ninth for RB ahead of Lance Stroll of Aston Martin and Bearman.
Saturday’s race will start at 19:00 (SA time).
Grid for Saturday’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix after qualifying:
Front row
Max Verstappen (NED/Red Bull)
Charles Leclerc (MON/Ferrari)
2nd row
Sergio Perez (MEX/Red Bull)
Fernando Alonso (ESP/Aston Martin)
3rd row
Oscar Piastri (AUS/McLaren)
Lando Norris (GBR/McLaren)
4th row
George Russell (GBR/Mercedes)
Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes)
5th row
Yuki Tsunoda (JPN/RB)
Lance Stroll (CAN/Aston Martin)
6th row
Oliver Bearman (GBR/Ferrari)
Alex Albon (THA/Williams)
7th row
Kevin Magnussen (DEN/Haas)
Daniel Ricciardo (AUS/RB)
8th row
Nico Hülkenberg (GER/Haas)
Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Sauber)
9th row
Esteban Ocon (FRA/Alpine)
Pierre Gasly (FRA/Alpine)
10th row
Logan Sargeant (USA/Williams)
Zhou Guanyu (CHN/Sauber)