Lusail, Qatar – In a stunning turn of events at the Qatar Grand Prix, Max Verstappen's dominant qualifying streak came to an abrupt end. For the first time in 440 days, the reigning world champion was out-qualified by his Red Bull teammate, Yuki Tsunoda, during the Sprint Qualifying session. This unexpected outcome has injected a fresh dose of intrigue into the already intense battle for the Formula 1 World Championship.
The qualifying session saw McLaren's Oscar Piastri snatch the Sprint pole position with a blistering lap of 1:20.055, edging out Mercedes' George Russell by a mere 0.032 seconds. Lando Norris, Piastri’s McLaren teammate and championship leader, secured third place. Fernando Alonso in his Aston Martin qualified fourth. However, the major talking point was Tsunoda's sensational performance, placing his Red Bull fifth on the grid, ahead of Verstappen.
Verstappen, who has been a qualifying force to be reckoned with, struggled throughout the session. The Dutchman battled severe bouncing and an unpredictable balance in his RB21, which ultimately compromised his lap times. He went wide at Turn 4 on his initial run, which not only ruined his set of soft tires, but may have caused floor damage. Despite another attempt, Verstappen couldn't improve sufficiently, finishing 0.473 seconds behind Piastri.
"Not good from the first lap," Verstappen said. "Just really bad bouncing and very aggressive understeer that would shift into oversteer at high-speed. Just not what you want to go fast." He added that changes made after the free practice session didn't improve the car's handling.
Tsunoda's impressive performance comes at a crucial time, as his future with Red Bull has been uncertain. This result could significantly bolster his chances of remaining with the team. Meanwhile, the pressure mounts on Verstappen, who is currently 24 points behind Norris in the championship standings.
The Sprint race presents a challenge for Verstappen, who expressed concerns about his car's setup. "With this balance, tomorrow in the sprint at least, it will not be a lot of fun," he admitted. "It will be more about just trying to survive I guess and make some changes going into qualifying."
The result of the Sprint Qualifying has set the stage for an unpredictable Sprint race. With Piastri and Norris starting at the front, and Verstappen facing an uphill battle, the race promises excitement. Moreover, with the championship battle intensifying, every point will be crucial.
Adding to the drama, Lewis Hamilton endured another disappointing qualifying session, ending up in 18th position. He will start the Sprint race near the back of the grid.
The Qatar Grand Prix Sprint race is scheduled to start at 5 pm local time on Saturday.
