Verstappen Captures Pole in Qatar as Constructors’ Battle Heats Up
Under the scorching Qatar sun, Max Verstappen secured a stunning pole position for the Qatar Grand Prix, laying the groundwork for his pursuit of a dominant weekend. This marks Verstappen’s fourth consecutive world title win and sets the stage for a thrilling duel against his rivals in Sunday’s main event.
The Red Bull driver, fresh off clinching his fourth consecutive world championship title in Las Vegas, set the fastest lap time of 1:20.520 minutes during the crucial third qualifying session (Q3) at the Lusail International Circuit. He overcame stiff competition from a resurgent George Russell (Mercedes), slipping past the Briton by a mere 55 thousandths of a second.
Lando Norris will start third on the grid (+0.252 seconds), while his McLaren teammate, Oscar Piastri, claimed fourth and locked down the second row starting position.
Completing the top ten were Charles Leclerc (5th), Lewis Hamilton (6th), Carlos Sainz (7th), Fernando Alonso (8th), Sergio Pérez (9th), and Kevin Magnussen (10th).
The starting grid for the main event in Lusail 👇#F1 #QatarGP pic.twitter.com/aMgCYBf1UG
— Formula 1 (@F1)
November 30, 2024
Adding another layer of excitement to the weekend, Piastri continued his impressive form by clinching victory in Saturday’s sprint race.
While Verstappen’s championship triumph has already been etched in history, the focus now shifts to the intense battle for the constructors’ title. McLaren currently leads the pack with 623 points, followed closely by Ferrari with 593 and Red Bull with 556.
The drivers’ championship standings also remain closely contested, with Norris (347 points) battling fiercely to hold onto second place against Leclerc (323 points).
The Qatar GP race is scheduled for 4pm on Sunday.
Did Verstappen’s pole position come as a surprise?
## Verstappen Reigns in Qatar
**Announcer**: Welcome back to our coverage of the Qatar Grand Prix! We’re here with motorsport journalist Sarah Jones to discuss Max Verstappen’s incredible pole position win. Sarah, what a performance from Verstappen. Was this a surprise?
**Sarah Jones**: Absolutely, a bit of a surprise! [[1](https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/verstappen-beats-russell-to-surprise-pole-position-in-qatar-by-just-0-055s.3JBYIEP2IM8lEXsAmyId66)] describes it as a “surprise pole position,” and I think that’s accurate. While Verstappen has been dominant this season, he struggled earlier in the Sprint race. To bounce back and snatch pole by such a small margin against a strong competitor like George Russell is genuinely impressive.
**Announcer**: And this comes after Verstappen secured his fourth consecutive world championship title in Las Vegas, correct?
**Sarah Jones**: You got it. He’s on a roll, and this pole position just adds fuel to the fire. He’s clearly motivated to finish the season strong, even with the championship already locked in.
**Announcer**: What are your predictions for tomorrow’s race?
**Sarah Jones**: I expect another thrilling battle, especially with Russell starting alongside Verstappen on the front row. Norris is also in great form, starting third. The fight for the Constructors’ Championship is still very much alive, so every position matters. It’s going to be an exciting race!
