Although everyone expected a McLaren battle in qualifying, Max Verstappen once again offered something that only he knows how to do.
Q1 began as it had all weekend: the two McLarens quickly took the lead and dictated the pace for the rest of the field. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri took the lead at different times, while behind them, the two Red Bulls proved to be a significant force. Thus, we reached the first qualifying laps, and then the Mercedes and Williams, which had performed well in all three practice sessions, joined the fray. In the end, Max Verstappen, Lando Norris, and Oscar Piastri finished in the top positions at this stage, while Esteban Ocon, Nico Hülkenberg, Jack Doohan, Lance Stroll, and Gabriel Bortoletto said an early goodbye.
Q2 didn't bring any major changes either, with Verstappen still battling with the two McLarens, and watching the Dutchman, we increasingly felt he was taking times from the Red Bull that weren't even in that car. However, the real excitement developed at the edge of the top 10, as Alex Albon failed to advance, but surprisingly Carlos Sainz did, while the two Racing Bulls, Fernando Alonso, and Bearman were eliminated. The top three ultimately ended in the order Norris, Verstappen, and Piastri, from which the pole position will likely come.
In Q3, we expected a great battle, however, Lando Norris arrived and ruined everything... Well, this isn't entirely true, as he only crashed the McLaren and his own stopwatch into the wall, but with that, he retired from the competition. Red flag! After a short time, the fight continued, with Verstappen showing an impressive lap, followed by Piastri just a few thousandths behind. However, George Russell wasn't far behind either, achieving an even faster lap than them. At the start... Because Max Verstappen arrived and worked his magic again, overtaking Oscar Piastri and also a sensational George Russell.
If tomorrow's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is even half as good, we'll sign it without hesitation...
Photo: Lat Images / F1
