Max sets fastest time in Qatar qualifying: 'Didn't expect that'

Published on 30 November 2024 by Florence Cobben

Max Verstappen has set the fastest time in the Qatar Grand Prix qualifying. In an exciting battle for pole, it was Max who was 55-thousandths of a second faster than his closest competitor, George Russell. Max received a grid penalty for driving too slow during a cool down lap, and so will be starting tomorrow from P2, behind Russell.

“Honestly, I didn’t expect that. But well done to the team to give me a car that feels a bit more connected. Once the car is a bit more together you can push harder. It felt a lot better in qualifying for me. We did change a bit on the car, but I never thought it would cause such a swing on performance. That’s promising. I hope, of course, that it also lasts tomorrow in the race. I don’t know that yet, but it just felt already a lot more stable over one lap, and that’s exactly what we need.”

Max elaborates: “It’s gonna be a tough race, I think. Physically, but also on the tyres. Making sure that you’re good on them — the front left around here gets eaten up quite a lot so it’s all about managing that tomorrow. But I hope with the set up that we have right now, that it’ll be a lot better.” The World Champion thinks tomorrow will be challenging, “It’s all very close behind (me). You could see in the sprint that Mercedes, McLaren and Ferrari were all quick. It seems we’re now in that mix, and I hope tomorrow as well."

At 21 o’clock local time, the lights at the Losail International Circuit go green, signalling the start of Q1. On the outlap from the pitlane there is heavy traffic, as the drivers scramble to take to the track. Zhou Guanyu is the first to set a time with a 1:23.5, but quickly the laps get faster. Max sets a promising first time on a used set of soft tyres. With a lap time of 1:21.7, he is three-tenths faster than the McLarens. Only George Russell is faster in the first run than the four-time World Champion, setting a time of 1:21.5.

In the closing phase of the first part of qualifying, the times get faster and faster. Max improves to a 1:21.5, and finishes in fifth. At the end, his distance to Lando Norris in fourth is one-thousandth of a second. Russell is fastest with a 1:21.2 time, 37-thousandths faster than Charles Leclerc. At the back of the grid, drivers fight to make it into Q2. Yuki Tsunoda is the winner of the competition, while Alexander Albon, Liam Lawson, Nico Hulkenberg, Franco Colapinto and Esteban Ocon can hit the proverbial showers.

In Q2 Russell is the first to set a time, with a 1:21.1 lap time. Max manages to improve on his time with a 1:21.0, placing him at the top of the timesheets. Oracle Red Bull Racing-teammate Sergio Perez sets a time of 1:21.4, putting him in fifth. Perez keeps dropping down the timesheets, but manages to make it through to P3. Pierre Gasly, Zhou Guanyu, Valtteri Bottas, Yuki Tsunoda and Lance Stroll are this session’s leavers. Max finishes the session with a time of 1:20.6, putting him three-tenths faster than the rest of the field.

As the drivers narrow in on securing pole position, the stakes heighten. While other drivers head out straight away, Max only heads out with eight minutes left on the clock. His first lap is quick — one purple sector and two green puts him in second place, 45-seconds behind Russell. After two slow laps to heat up the tyres, Max makes another attempt at pole. He sets the fastest first sector again, and also the fastest time. With a 1:20.520, the four-time World Champion claims the fastest time of the qualifying session. 

After qualifying, Max is called in to the stewards. According to the summons, he drove too slow in a cool down lap and hindered George Russell. Max is penalized by one grid position. Before going into the stewards, Max explained: "I was making a gap to the guys in front of me and he came by full throttle. Of course you have to stick to your delta, but at a certain point you can't if the guys in front of you are also driving slowly. So I hung back, and then there he was blazing past me." If Max thinks he'll get a penalty, he says: "No, because I was following everyone driving in front of me without harming anyone.”

Contest Qatar GP: win a by Max Verstappen signed Red Bull Racing cap!

Results qualifying Qatar: