JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia — Max Verstappen won his second consecutive pole position to start the Formula 1 season Friday at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.
The three-time world champion will start ahead of the field in Saturday’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, looking for his second straight victory to open the campaign.
“We improved the car a little bit overnight and came out with a great set up which allowed me to attack the high speed corners and improve the one lap performance. Around this track, it really depends on your confidence level and how much you can go to your limit and today I felt very comfortable with the car,” Verstappen said.
The Red Bull driver turned a best lap of one minute and 27.472 seconds, which was three-tenths of a second better than Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who qualified second.
Verstappen’s teammate will start third with Aston Martin wheelman Fernando Alonso rounding out the second row.
McLaren drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris will share the third row with Mercedes teammates George Russell and Lewis Hamilton in row four.
Eighteen-year-old rookie Oliver Bearman, who was called upon to sub for Carlos Sainz, who is out with appendicitis, qualified 11th.
American Logan Sargeant was 19th for Williams.