Although everyone expected the McLarens to battle in qualifying, Max Verstappen once again showed something that only Max Verstappen can do.
Q1 began much as the entire weekend had so far: The two McLarens quickly took the lead and dictated the pace of the field. Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, led the field at times, while behind them the two Red Bulls proved to be a significant force. This was our position after the first measured laps, when Mercedes and Williams, who performed well in all three practice sessions, also came into play. Ultimately, Max Verstappen, Lando Norris, and Oscar Piastri finished this section in the lead, while we had to say goodbye to Esteban Ocon, Nico Hülkenberg, Jack Doohan, Lance Stroll, and Gabriel Bortoletto.
Q2 also brought no major changes, with Verstappen continuing to battle with the two McLarens. Watching the Dutchman, we increasingly get the feeling he's getting times out of the Red Bull that it shouldn't be capable of. The real tension, however, developed on the edge of the top 10, as Alex Albon failed to make progress, but surprisingly Carlos Sainz did, while the two Racing Bulls, Fernando Alonso, and Bearman, were eliminated. The top three ultimately finished in the order of Norris, Verstappen, and Piastri, from which pole position will likely be determined.
We were expecting a big duel in Q3, but then Lando Norris came along and threw everything into disarray... Well, that's not entirely true, because he only crashed the McLaren and his own timing device into the wall, but that also eliminated him from the rest of the race. Red flag! Shortly after, the competition resumed, with Verstappen putting in an incredible lap, trailed by Piastri by just a thousandth of a second. George Russell didn't hold back either, putting in an even stronger lap. First... Then Max Verstappen came along and worked his magic again, beating Oscar Piastri and even surpassing the sensationally driving George Russell.
If tomorrow's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is even half as good, we'll sign it immediately...
Photo: Lat Images / F1
