Verstappen: Saudi Arabia pole like 2021 failure

Max Verstappen believes his Saudi Arabian Grand Prix pole position lap was like his infamous failed 2021 attempt.

Verstappen cruised to a first Jeddah pole ahead of Charles Leclerc and team-mate Sergio Perez, doing so on his first attempt in Q3, just failing to improve on his second lap.

It is Verstappen's 34th career pole overall and comes three years after his famous failed attempt in the first race held at the circuit in 2021.

On course for a potentially title-defining pole against Lewis Hamilton, who was eighth, Verstappen locked up at the final corner and hit the outside barrier at Turn 27, causing damage to his Red Bull - with the now triple World Champion believing his attempt channelled that lap.

"We improved the car a little bit overnight and that gave me a bit more confidence to attack the high-speed corners," Verstappen explained.

"Around here, it depends a lot on your confidence level and how much you can go the limit and I felt very comfortable with the car.

"It is crazy how fast you can go around here, especially my first lap in Q3, I was very happy with the lap, it was a bit like the failed 2021 lap, but I had a lot of fun and the car was behaving really well.

"We have seen in the past there have been a lot of crazy races around here, a lot can happen.

"Normally, people always say it is a one-stop, but it is like that around here.

"There are a lot of straights, but I am confident that with the race pace we have, the car will work really well."