Super Max Verstappen secures sensational pole in Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
Entertainment Web Release Selection By Editor_wr On Apr 20, 2025
In a thrilling Qualifying held under the floodlights, Red Bull's Max Verstappen stormed to pole position for the FORMULA 1 STC SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX. The reigning World Champion edged out McLaren's Oscar Piastri by just 0.01 seconds with a stunning lap of 1m27.294s — the fastest ever recorded around the Jeddah Corniche Circuit — at an average speed of 254.615 km/h.
'The car came alive in the night,' said a delighted Verstappen. Mercedes' George Russell took third, while the biggest shock of the session was Lando Norris crashing out at Turn 5. After running wide over the kerb, Norris lost control and hit the wall — bringing out the red flags and ensuring he'll start today's race from tenth on the grid.
With a rapid McLaren beneath him, the Championship leader could still be a major factor when the lights go out at 8pm tonight. Just behind the top three, Charles Leclerc will line up fourth for Ferrari, with Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli impressing once again in fifth.
As the sun set over the Red Sea last night, 17-year-old Red Bull Junior Arvid Lindblad made history by becoming the youngest ever Formula 2 race winner. He inherited the win after Richard Verschoor, who had crossed the line first, was handed a five-second penalty for forcing Josep María Martí off track at Turn 1.
Lindblad had earlier passed his Campos team-mate Martí for second — a move that became the race-winning overtake once Verschoor's penalty was applied. Jak Crawford was the race's only retirement after a spin and he'll be looking to turn his fortunes around when he starts on pole for the Feature Race at 4.25pm later today.
In F1 ACADEMY, McLaren's Ella Lloyd delivered a commanding performance to take her first win. Starting on the front row, she seized the lead at Turn 1 and never looked back. After a Safety Car restart, Lloyd pulled clear to take victory ahead of Ferrari's Maya Weug and Alisha Palmowski.
Despite receiving a five-second penalty for a false start, Wild Card entrant Farah AlYousef finished 16th. Later this afternoon, Chloe Chambers will be chasing her own moment of glory as she starts from pole in Race 2 at 3.05pm.
Off-track, the weekend has been just as spectacular. On Saturday night, global icon Jennifer Lopez lit up the Fan Zone with a headline performance. The multi-platinum A-lister thrilled the crowd with a high-energy set packed with hits. And more stars are set to shine tonight. After the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, R&B legend Usher will take to the main stage to close out the event. Known for his chart-topping anthems, he's expected to deliver an unforgettable finale for the fans in Jeddah.
The stage is set for another thrilling race under the lights at a circuit known for its speed, unpredictability and spectacle. All eyes are on Jeddah for the fifth edition of the FORMULA 1 STC SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX which starts at 8pm.
To discover more about the FORMULA 1 SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX 2025, please visit www.saudiarabiangp.com.
Follow us on social:
Twitter: @SaudiArabianGP
Instagram: @saudiarabiangp Super Max Verstappen secures sensational pole in Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
Comments are closed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Khaleej Times
3 days ago
- Khaleej Times
French Open: Defending champion Alcaraz cruises into last four
Reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz glided into the semifinals of Roland Garros on Tuesday, blowing away American 12th seed Tommy Paul for the loss of just five games in the night session on Court Philippe Chatrier. The Spaniard needed just one hour 34 minutes to dismantle former world number nine Paul 6-0, 6-1, 6-4 and set up a last-four meeting with Italy's Lorenzo Musetti. Musetti, seeded eighth, earlier beat Paul's compatriot and 15th seed Frances Tiafoe in four sets. It will be the third time Alcaraz and Musetti meet this clay-court season. Alcaraz has dominated that series, beating the Italian in the final in Monte Carlo before also stopping him in the last four on his way to the Rome title. And the 22-year-old's blistering performance under the lights on centre court in Paris will have many backing him to make it three from three against Musetti as he seeks to defend his title. "It was, I could close my eyes and everything went in, my feeling today was amazing. Today was one of those matches where everything went in, I'm just pleased with everything," said Alcaraz. Alcaraz fired 40 winners on his way to victory over Paul for just 22 unforced errors as he emphatically put inconsistent displays in the previous rounds behind him. "This kind of match is never easy," he said. "I've played Tommy many times and he's beat me twice." Despite previous success against Alcaraz, it took the 28-year-old American eight games to get on the scoreboard as his opponent raced out of the blocks, mixing powerful groundstrokes with perfectly-weighted drop-shots and lobs. Paul put up determined resistance in the third set but couldn't deny Alcaraz, who broke in the ninth game before holding to love for victory. "I know you wanted to watch more tennis," an apologetic Alcaraz told the crowd on centre court. "I have to say sorry for that. But I had to do my work." Paul has now lost his last four meetings with Alcaraz, including at the same venue last year in the last eight of the Olympic Games.
Gulf Today
4 days ago
- Gulf Today
Russell clash should not have happened, says Verstappen
Max Verstappen has conceded that his Spanish Grand Prix clash with Mercedes' George Russell, which left the Formula One champion on the brink of a ban, was wrong and should not have happened. The Red Bull driver made his comments on Instagram a day after the race at the Circuit de Catalunya. Four-times world champion Verstappen was given a 10-second post-race penalty for appearing to drive into Russell after a late safety car period, as well as three penalty points on his super-licence. The race stewards ruled Verstappen had 'suddenly accelerated' before the collision and Russell said it 'felt very deliberate'. The added time dropped him from fifth to 10th while the penalty points took his tally to 11 in a 12-month period. One more in the next two races before the end of June will trigger a race ban. Red Bull's Max Verstappen ahead of the race. Reuters 'We had an exciting strategy and good race in Barcelona, till the safety car came out,' Verstappen, who had led Sunday's race won by McLaren's Oscar Piastri, said in his post. 'Our tyre choice to the end and some moves after the safety car restart fuelled my frustration, leading to a move that was not right and shouldn't have happened. 'I always give everything out there for the team and emotions can run high. You win some together, you lose some together. See you in Montreal.' On Sunday, in the immediate aftermath, Verstappen had preferred not to comment. The Dutch driver has won twice this season, the only non-McLaren driver to do so, but his hopes of a fifth title are slipping away as McLaren continue to dominate with seven wins in nine races so far. His move on Russell drew a mixture of condemnation and astonishment in the paddock. 'It looked like a very intentional retaliation. Wait for the opponent, go ramming into him, just like you felt the other guy rammed into you at Turn One,' said Mercedes' 2016 world champion Nico Rosberg on Sky Sports. 'That's something which is extremely unacceptable and I think the rules would be a black flag, yes. If you wait for your opponent to bang into him, that's a black flag.' Verstappen said on Sunday that Rosberg 'can have his opinion', while Red Bull team boss Christian Horner told reporters 'Nico's quite sensational in the way he commentates, so we'll leave it there.' Agencies
Dubai Eye
5 days ago
- Dubai Eye
Piastri wins in Spain, Verstappen on brink of a ban
Formula One leader Oscar Piastri won the Spanish Grand Prix in a McLaren one-two with Lando Norris on Sunday while Max Verstappen was left on the brink of a ban after a clash with Mercedes' George Russell. Polesitter Piastri won by 2.471 seconds to go 10 points clear of Norris with his fifth victory in nine races, and McLaren's seventh of the season. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc completed the podium in a race that left the drama to the end with a late safety car deployment. "It's a nice way to bounce back from Monaco. A superb weekend," said Piastri, who finished third last weekend in a race won from pole by Norris. Verstappen, who made four stops in total and ended up fighting on hard tyres against rivals with faster softs, collided with Leclerc and then twice with Russell after the safety car restart with six laps to go. Stewards handed the four-times world champion a 10-second post-race penalty for the second collision with Russell, which appeared deliberate, dropping Verstappen from fifth on the road to 10th. The Dutch driver was also given three penalty points to take his total tally to 11 for the 12 month period. One more before the end of June would incur a one-race ban. Nico Rosberg, Mercedes 2016 world champion and now a pundit for Sky Sports television, said Verstappen should have been black-flagged for what looked to him like intentional retaliation for the earlier contact. Another investigation into the clash with Leclerc drew no further action. Russell finished fourth while Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg finished a surprising and morale-boosting fifth for the future Audi team after passing Ferrari's seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton on the penultimate lap. Hamilton ended up sixth, Isack Hadjar seventh for Racing Bulls and Pierre Gasly eighth for Renault-owned Alpine to cap a solid weekend for the Frenchman celebrating soccer side Paris St Germain's Champions League win. Continuing the football theme, the race was attended by FIFA president Gianni Infantino and most of the England squad while the chequered flag was waved by Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski. FIRST POINTS Ferrari moved up to second from fourth in the constructors' standings, now 197 points behind McLaren. Verstappen remained third in the drivers' championship but now 49 points behind Piastri in what is becoming a McLaren battle. Home hero Fernando Alonso scored his first points of the season in ninth for Aston Martin, who had only one car on the grid due to Lance Stroll's withdrawal through injury after Saturday's qualifying. Piastri led away at the start with Verstappen seizing second from Norris while Hamilton and Leclerc moved up to fourth and fifth as Russell lost out. Hamilton let Leclerc through on lap 10 of 66 after the two Ferraris had run nose to tail. Norris took back second place from Verstappen on lap 13, the Dutch driver making no attempt to defend against the quicker McLaren and pitting in the next lap for fresh tyres. Verstappen took the lead again on lap 23 after Piastri pitted, with Norris making his first stop on lap 21 and coming out behind the Red Bull, but that lasted only until Verstappen pitted for a second time on lap 30. He came in for a third stop on lap 47 but Norris pitted the lap after to defend second place. A safety car deployment on lap 55, after Italian rookie Kimi Antonelli beached his Mercedes in the gravel, bunched up the field and triggered a rash of stops. The McLarens came in together for fresh tyres, double-stacking, and resumed ahead of Verstappen who had only hards available to him. "That safety car just came at the wrong time," he said.
