Max Verstappen claims pole position in Qatar on the weekend he could clinch the Driver’s Championship, with George Russell starting Sunday’s race second, and Lewis Hamilton third

Max Verstappen opened what will likely be his title weekend by securing pole position for the Qatar Grand Prix.

The 26-year-old Dutchman was the irresistible force he has been all season under the lights at the Losail International Circuit as he made himself the hot favorite for his 14th win of 17 during his magical season.

But in a strange twist of scheduling, the full-distance race could be irrelevant to Verstappen’s ambitions to become the 11th triple world, as he is expected to take the honors in Saturday’s 19-lap sprint.

Formula 1 has implemented a new format for the six-sprint weekend this season, with Saturdays entirely devoted to the shorter distances: a further qualifying session in the afternoon to determine the starting positions for the evening sprint.

It’s a strange day with no berths for the main event on Sunday – or what the main event would be if it weren’t for the likelihood that Verstappen would have blown out his candles by then. He hinted that he would stage a mini celebration as he concludes his year-long procession to glory before the Grand Prix itself.

If his teammate Sergio Perez, the only remaining mathematical challenger to the inevitable, fails to score six points in the sprint – meaning he must finish third or higher – then it’s all over. Whatever happens, three points for Verstappen on Saturday – sixth or better – would be the answer.

The bad news for Perez is that he is struggling with his speed here, 29 kilometers north of Doha. The Mexican qualified 13th, with his problems compounded when his best time was scrapped for exceeding track limits at Turn 5.

Verstappen led for most of Friday evening, although he complained about almost hitting Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz during Q2. “What’s he doing, man?” he exclaimed. ‘He defends. Did you see that? I almost bumped into him.’

He also ran off the track straight at the death, but he had already achieved a time of four tenths ahead of the rest in front of a relatively small crowd. Mercedes’ George Russell finished second after his compatriot Lando Norris of McLaren was demoted to tenth for driving over the white lines.

Another reshuffle followed a few minutes later when Norris’ teammate Oscar Piastri was dumped from third to sixth for the same infraction. That cleared the way for Lewis Hamilton, in the other Silver Arrow, to qualify third.