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Max Verstappen Take Pole Position For Qatar Grand Prix As He Takes Another Step Towards Title

By Robert Haile

Max Verstappen took the first step on his way to potentially sealing his third World Championship with Pole Position in Qatar.

The Dutch driver dominated proceedings using only one lap in the top ten shootout to clinch the first spot on the front row.

Mercedes duo George Russell and Lewis Hamilton took second and third, from where they will look to stop what feels like a formality.

Sergio Perez of Mexico driving the (11) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB19 on track during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Qatar – Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images

McLaren will be rueing track limits as Oscar Piastri backed up his third place in Japan with a provisional third before being demoted to sixth while Lando Norris dropped from second to tenth as their lap times were deleted.

Fernando Alonso starts on the second row in fourth for Aston Martin with Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari in fifth.

Alpine start seventh and eighth as Pierre Gasly beat Esteban Ocon with Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas in ninth.

0.004 seconds denied Yuki Tsunoda a place in the top ten for the AlphaTauri driver as Carlos Sainz suffered a shock exit for Ferrari in twelfth.

Another to fall to track limits Sergio Perez starts thirteenth and is the only driver that can stop Verstappen.

Williams’ Alex Albon took fourteenth ahead of Nico Hulkenberg’s Haas.

In the first qualifying session Logan Sargeant ended up sixteenth as teammate Albon progressed with Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin in seventeenth with AlphaTauri’s Liam Lawson eighteenth.

Haas’ Kevin Magnussen and Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu start on the back row.

The Qatar Grand Prix race starts at 6 pm (18:00) GMT on Sunday, October 8 but before that the Sprint Qualifying and Race take place on Saturday, October 7.

Qatar Grand Prix Qualifying

  1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
  2. George Russell (Mercedes)
  3. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
  4. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
  5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
  6. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
  7. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
  8. Esteban Ocon (Alpine)
  9. Vallteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo)
  10. Lando Norris (McLaren)
  11. Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri)
  12. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
  13. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
  14. Alex Albon (Williams)
  15. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas)
  16. Logan Sargeant (Williams)
  17. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
  18. Liam Lawson (AlphaTauri)
  19. Kevin Magnussen (Haas)
  20. Zhou Guanyu (Alfa Romeo)