Verstappen edges Piastri in nail-biting Saudi Arabian qualifying shootout

Max Verstappen (Left) Oscar Piastri (Right) (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen claimed pole position for the 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix after a thrilling qualifying session in Jeddah that came down to the wire. The reigning world champion snatched the top spot from McLaren’s Oscar Piastri by just 0.010s, with Mercedes’ George Russell putting in a stellar lap to secure third on the grid.

"Yeah, I mean, very happy. I definitely didn't expect to be on pole here after FP3. But yeah, the car came alive in the night. We made some final changes and it was a lot more enjoyable to drive," said Verstappen.

He added: "Qualifying is extremely difficult here because of all the walls. You need to try and nail it. And yeah, it's really satisfying to be first. Even though I think tomorrow in the race it will be tough to keep them [McLaren] behind, we're gonna give it a good go."

Q3 erupted into chaos when Lando Norris ran wide at Turn 4, bouncing over the kerb and losing control of his McLaren before hitting the wall. The red flag came out with just over eight minutes remaining — just after teammate Piastri had completed a rapid lap to go top with a 1:27.560.

When the session resumed, Verstappen hit back with a 1:27.559 — just 0.001s quicker than Piastri — before diving into the pits to bolt on a fresh set of softs for one final charge. Russell then laid down a 1:27.407 in the final minute, temporarily going quickest, before Piastri responded with a stunning 1:27.304.

But it wasn’t enough. With the clock at zero, Verstappen crossed the line and sealed pole with a 1:27.294, his final run just one-hundredth of a second clear of the McLaren.

"I mean, to be honest, I was pretty happy with it. There wasn't too much more left in that lap. I think I was playing catch-up a little bit through the first part of qualifying, and then that last lap felt more or less like the best I could have done," said Piastri.

"Before the session I would have definitely taken a P3. But when I just saw how close it was, I was really happy with the lap — though you always think there might have been a little bit more in there. But, you know, being realistic, I think this was probably the maximum today. We know we don't quite have the pace of the McLaren, and obviously Max did an amazing job again — so yeah, congrats to him," said Russell.

The session had everything: close margins, a red flag, and all the drama. Q1 saw early exits for Kick Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto, Alpine’s Esteban Ocon, Kick Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg, Alpine’s Jack Doohan, and Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll, with the final spots in Q2 fiercely contested.

There was disappointment in Q2 for Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson, while Haas’ Ollie Bearman narrowly missed out on his first Q3 appearance of the season. Williams’ Alex Albon also fell short, ending up just outside the top ten.

For the race, Verstappen and Piastri will share the front row, followed by Russell and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in fourth. Rookie Kimi Antonelli impressed once again to qualify fifth for Mercedes, ahead of Williams’ Carlos Sainz and Sir Lewis Hamilton for Ferrari.

Yuki Tsunoda placed eighth for Red Bull, just ahead of Alpine’s Pierre Gasly. Norris will line up tenth on the grid after his crash at Turn 4 forced him out of the session.

With the top three separated by just over a tenth of a second, the stage is set for a thrilling Grand Prix under the lights in Jeddah.

Verstappen edges Piastri in nail-biting Saudi Arabian qualifying shootout by Damian Hall