Sergio Perez claimed pole place for Sunday’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix to salvage delight for Red Bull after Max Verstappen was compelled out of qualifying with a driveshaft failure in Q2.
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The 33-year-old Mexican clocked a greatest lap in a single minute 28.265 seconds to beat Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who faces a 10-place grid penalty, by 0.155 in a carefully fought qualifying session.
It is Perez’s second profession pole and second in Saudi Arabia, whereas Verstappen will begin from fifteenth.
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As a results of Leclerc’s penalty, two-time champion Fernando Alonso will begin from the entrance row of the grid for Aston Martin alongside Perez after winding up third quickest forward of Mercedes’ George Russell and Carlos Sainz, who was fifth within the second Ferrari.
Lance Stroll was sixth within the second Aston Martin forward of Alpine’s Esteban Ocon, seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton within the second Mercedes and rookie Oscar Piastri of McLaren.
Pierre Gasly was tenth for Alpine.
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“Red Bull are on a different planet,” mentioned Leclerc, who will set off from twelfth on the grid.
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The race will begin at 19:00 (SA time).
Starting grid for Sunday’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix:
Front row
Sergio Perez (MEX/Red Bull)
Fernando Alonso (ESP/Aston Martin-Mercedes)
2nd row
George Russell (GBR/Mercedes)
Carlos Sainz (ESP/Ferrari)
third row
Lance Stroll (CAN/Aston Martin-Mercedes)
Esteban Ocon (FRA/Alpine-Renault)
4th row
Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes)
Oscar Piastri (AUS/McLaren-Mercedes)
fifth row
Pierre Gasly (FRA/Alpine-Renault)
Nico Hulkenberg (GER/Haas-Ferrari)
sixth row
Zhou Guanyu (CHN/Alfa Romeo)
Charles Leclerc (MON/Ferrari)
seventh row
Kevin Magnussen (DEN/Haas-Ferrari)
Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Alfa Romeo)
eighth row
Max Verstappen (NED/Red Bull)
Yuki Tsunoda (JPN/AlphaTauri-Red Bull)
ninth row
Alexander Albon (THA/Williams-Mercedes)
Nyck de Vries (NED/AlphaTauri-Red Bull)
tenth row
Lando Norris (GBR/McLaren-Mercedes)
Logan Sargeant (USA/Williams-Mercedes)
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