Qualifying under the lights for the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix was filled with drama and a tight battle. Max Verstappen once again got the best out of the Red Bull and clinched pole position for the race. Going into this weekend, there were questions about his future after a tough race in the Bahrain GP. However, in the Saudi Arabia GP qualifying, Max left everything on the track to clinch pole from Oscar Piastri.

The championship leader, Lando Norris, couldn’t even put in a lap in Q3 as he crashed out. This will put a lot of pressure on him and hinder his title hopes. With such a tight battle at the front, he cannot fumble and make any more mistakes.

George Russell continued his excellent form this year and will start 3rd in the race. The Brit was in contention for pole in the last rounds but was eventually overpowered by the Red Bull. Charles Leclerc in the Ferrari once again proved his qualifying prowess and dragged his Ferrari to 4th in the session. Let us look into some important takeaways from the session.

Top Takeaways from Saudi Arabia GP Qualifying

1.     Max Verstappen Reigns Supreme in Saudi Arabia

Max Verstappen claimed pole by a tenth of a second in the Saudi Arabia GP qualifying from Oscar Piastri. After a horrendous weekend in Bahrain, Max, with his skills, set the track ablaze. The Red Bull looks great at high speeds and with tight corners around the Jeddah Corniche Street circuit, Max looks like the favorite to win the race.

2.     Lando Norris Misery Continues in Saudi Arabia

Lando Norris crashed into the barriers in the final part of qualifying and will start 10th in the race. The championship leader had a scrappy Bahrain GP, and he topped it up with a crash in the Saudi Arabia qualifying session. As things look, the Brit is feeling the pressure from his teammate and the chasing pack.

3.     Lance Stroll Exits in Q1 Again

Lance Stroll created history and recorded the most Q1 eliminations in Formula 1 history. This is also his 3rd consecutive Q1 exit; however, he will not lose his seat as long as his father is the CEO of the team. The pace of the Aston Martin car is not the best, but at least Fernando Alonso makes it to the second part of qualifying.

4.     Carlos Sainz’s Comeback Continues

Carlos Sainz had a strong-quality session and outqualified Albon for the second week in a row. To add a cherry to the cake, he will start ahead of Hamilton, who replaced him at Ferrari. Let’s see whether he can capitalize on this position.

5.     Lewis Hamilton’s Struggles Continue in Saudi Arabia

Lewis Hamilton had another scrappy qualifying session, and his struggles in the Ferrari continue. The 7-time champion looked at the risk of elimination in both Q1 and Q2 and only managed 7th in the session. The Ferrari is not the fastest car, but he was convincingly defeated by his teammate, who qualified 4th in the session.  

Saudi Arabia GP  2025 Starting Grid

1 Max Verstappen
2 Oscar Piastri
3 George Russell
4 Charles Leclerc
5 Kimi Antonelli
6 Carlos Sainz
7 Lewis Hamilton
8 Yuki Tsunoda
9 Pierre Gasly
10 Lando Norris
11 Alex Albon
12 Liam Lawson
13 Fernando Alonso
14 Isack Hadjar
15 Ollie Bearman
16 Lance Stroll
17 Jack Doohan
18 Nico Hulkenberg
19 Esteban Ocon
20 Gabriel Bortoleto