The Saudi Arabian F1 Grand Prix is all set for a thriller as Red Bull's Max Verstappen edged out Mclaren's Oscar Piastri by 0.01 of a second on his final run to take pole position. Piastri follows with number two and Mercedes' George Russell came in third with 0.113 off the pace. 

“I definitely didn't expect to be on pole here,” said Verstappen, who was coming off a difficult race last week in Bahrain amid speculation over his future with Red Bull. He said “the car came alive" ahead of qualifying after some setup changes, but played down expectations he could turn the pole position into a win, as he did at the Japanese Grand Prix.

“It's really satisfying," Verstappen said. "To be first there in qualifying is of course the best position for tomorrow, even though I think tomorrow in the race it will be tough to keep them behind, but we're going to give it a good go.”

Also Read: As Mclaren Dominates F1, Verstappen Remains Hopeful

An unfortunate incident occured where standings leader Lando Norris, who had not set a time in the third part of qualifying, lost control over a curb and ran wide into the wall on the exit of the corner, breaking his car's suspension. That brought out the red flag, stopping the session until the McLaren could be removed.

Norris told the team over the radio he was unhurt. Norris has a three-point lead over his McLaren teammate Piastri after four races, but has said he doesn't feel confident in the car and isn't able to drive at his best.

Fans eagerly await what promises to be a an exciting Grand Prix in Saudi Arabia.

Also Read: Mclaren Double Podium! Piastri Delivers Resounding Win at Bahrain GP