Max secures pole position in Qatar: 'Great start to the weekend'

Published on 06 October 2023 by Stefan Meens

In a weekend where Max Verstappen is hoping to clinch his third Formula 1 world championship, the Dutchman took a convincing pole position for Sunday’s Qatar Grand Prix. The Oracle Red Bull Racing driver lapped the Losail Circuit over four tenths quicker than second-placed George Russell. His Mercedes colleague Lewis Hamilton completed the top three. Max’ team mate Sergio Perez qualified in thirteenth.

“It’s a great start to this weekend”, said Max after qualifying. “It was tricky; the new track surface still needs rubbered in which means the grip is peaky. But I’m happy I’m on pole and that is was a good day for us.”

Ahead of Q1, race control has notified the teams and drivers that they must adhere to a maximum lap time to avoid traffic issues. To be precise, the drivers stay under the 1min46 mark between the second and first safety-car line. If they take longer, race control are within their rights to hand out a penalty.

When qualifying gets underway, both the track and ambient temperatures have dropped slightly compared to the opening and only practice session of the weekend earlier in the day. Nevertheless, both temperatures remain above thirty degrees Celsius.

Max is among the first drivers to take to the track. After the first flurry of flying laps, Fernando Alonso is quickest in the Aston Martin, ahead of Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) and Max. After everybody’s second attempt, Max tops the timing sheets, leading McLaren’s Lando Norris and Alonso. Logan Sargeant (Williams), Lance Stroll (Aston Martin), Liam Lawson (AlphaTauri), Kevin Magnussen (Haas) and Guanyu Zhou (Alfa Romeo) do not make the cut and are out of qualifying.

Q2 provides several surprises. At the front, Lewis Hamilton is the pace setter, followed by Max and Norris. Further back, the failure of Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) to make it out of Q2 generates the biggest headlines. The other drivers that do not make it past Q2 are Nico Hulkenberg (Haas), Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri) and Alex Albon (Williams)

In the final part of qualifying, Max is untouchable. His first flying lap is fast enough to claim his tenth pole position of the season without having to complete his second attempt. Behind the Dutchman, it is a close fight between the two McLarens, both Mercedes and Alonso’s Aston Martin.

Initially it looks like Norris is on course to secure P2 and thus best-of-the-rest. Unfortunately for the young Brit, his lap time is deleted following a track limit infringement, propelling compatriot George Russell into second. The Mercedes driver stays ahead of Lewis Hamilton, who moves into third following Oscar Piastri’s demotion to sixth, also due to exceeding track limits.

Contest GP Qatar: win a canvas 'Austria 2023 by Eric Jan Kremer'

Results qualifying Qatar: