Max Verstappen denied Oscar Piastri Saudi Arabian Grand Prix pole position by just 0.010s after Lando Norris crashed out in Q3.
After topping Q2, Norris crashed heavily at Turns 4 and 5 after hitting the kerb, being spat into the outside barrier, causing a red flag.
Team-mate Piastri had the only time on the board, with Verstappen forced to abort his lap seconds before starting it.
The world champion completed two flying laps in the session, after a race-style pit-stop, and eked out his advantage from 0.001s over Piastri after the first laps to 0.010s to earn his second pole position of the season, after his Suzuka stunner.
Norris will start 10th at best in the second McLaren, and faces an up-hill task to maintain his championship lead, with Verstappen eight points behind and Piastri just three as they share the front-row.
Report continues below.
Result Qualification - Saudi Arabian
Q3
After Norris's crash, Piastri was the only driver with a time on the board, a 1:27.560 as the field was limited to a single flying lap - with the exception of Verstappen.
Verstappen's first lap was a 1:27.559s, just 0.001s faster than Piastri, with Russell then usurping the pair with a 1:27.407s.
Piastri then responded with a 1:27.304s, but after a race-style pit-stop, Verstappen posted a 1:27.294s to take pole for Red Bull.
Charles Leclerc was fourth, Kimi Antonelli fifth, Carlos Sainz sixth, Lewis Hamilton seventh, Yuki Tsunoda eighth and Pierre Gasly ninth of those who set a lap-time.
Liam Lawson grabs best grid spot of the season
In Q2, Hamilton scraped into Q3 by the skin of his teeth, just 0.007s ahead of Alex Albon in 11th.
The Williams driver completed his final lap earlier than the rest of the field, but was still elimianted alongside Liam Lawson, Fernando Alonso, Isack Hadjar and Ollie Bearman.
For Racing Bulls' Lawson, it is the first time in 2025 he has out-qualified a team-mate, and 12th will be his highest qualifying position of the season following poor results for Red Bull and then Racing Bulls.
Up front, Norris topped the segment from Verstappen and Piastri, with those three drivers carrying two new sets of soft tyres into Q3, whilst the remainder of the top 10, excluding Russell, had a single set.
Red Bull also investigated a report from Verstappen of floor damage following a heavy kerb-strike at Turn 4.
Lance Stroll's unwanted Q1 record
In Q1, Lance Stroll set the unwanted record of most Q1 exits in F1 history - breaking Kevin Magnussen's record of 74.
The Aston Martin driver qualified 16th, 0.074s behind Isack Hadjar on the safe side of the cut-line to take the record from former McLaren, Renault and Haas driver Magnussen.
The Canadian was joined by Jack Doohan, Nico Hulkenberg, Esteban Ocon and Gabriel Bortoleto in dropping out in Q1.
Bortoleto's weekend has been hampered after missing FP2 due to a fuel leak, forcing a change of chassis by Stake, although he also had a lap-time deleted in Q1 for track limits, as did Doohan.
Hamilton was on the cusp of being knocked out as he continued to struggle for pace, burning up a second set of fresh soft tyres to make it through to Q2.
Up front, the segment was topped by Verstappen, from Norris and then Piastri.
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