Many didn't expect it, but we would have bet that Max Verstappen would take pole position at the Qatar Grand Prix. And so it was, the Dutch world champion will start from pole position tomorrow!
After the first timed laps in Q1, the order was George Russell, Lando Norris, Max Verstappen, but the story seemed to be open. In third place was, for example, Carlos Sainz, Fernando Alonso… In the end, the stage ended with the success of Russell and the two Ferraris in the top 3, while among those eliminated were the two Williams, Liam Lawson, Nico Hülkenberg and Esteban Ocon.
In Q2, Max Verstappen opened with a good time, behind him Oscar Piastri and George Russell were dictating the pace, and it was clear that Red Bull Racing was improving its performance more and more. McLaren also had a similar evolution, especially Norris, who after his last attempt in Q2 reached first place, but Verstappen found something better and finished ahead of Norris and Leclerc. The two Alfas, however, had to go to the shower along with Pierre Gasly, Yuki Tsunoda and Lance Stroll.
After the first attempts in Q3, Russell was in first place ahead of his rival Red Bull, but in the end the Dutchman mobilized so well that he managed to take pole position ahead of George Russell and Lando Norris. So we expect an exciting race tomorrow, as already world champion Max Verstappen will start from the front grid, while McLaren, who are fighting for the constructors' title, will be looking to start from a better position in the Qatar Grand Prix.
