Max Verstappen takes pole for the F1 2024 Qatar GP as the Red Bull ace stuns George Russell by edging out the Mercedes driver by 0.055 around the Losail International Circuit on November 30.
The 27-year-old came into the weekend on the backfoot with his car struggling to follow his commands as he finished the Sprint Race in last of the points-scoring positions but he and his team produced a remarkable turnaround to take his first pole position since the Austrian GP all the way back in June.
Lando Norris slotted into third behind the lead two pair after struggling throughout the session for consistency, aborting both of his attempts in Q3 before he finally managed to get across the line ahead of his teammate by 0.057 as he looks to spear McLaren on to a first constructors’ championship since 1998.
Charles Leclerc got ahead of Lewis Hamilton, who in turn was ahead of Carlos Sainz, and none of the trio will be particularly pleased with how qualifying played out for them as they see their chances of a Grand Prix victory seem to disappear over the horizon in the Middle East.
And it was an excellent effort from Aston Martin‘s Fernando Alonso, who managed to get into eighth and gets a rare chance in recent races to add to his points tally in a glimmer of light in what has been a miserable season for the British outfit.
Who is on pole? Qualifying results from the F1 2024 Qatar GP
But there could be drama after Verstappen was accused of driving in a “super dangerous” manner by Russell, who had to skip across some gravel to avoid the Red Bull as he began to prepare his own lap. So keep an eye out because he could get a grid-drop penalty.
More from the Singapore GP
Catch up with Total Motorsport's latest Singapore GP coverage, including Max Verstappen's victory at Marina Bay, Ferrari's costly strategy gamble, the full race classification, and the updated 2026 Formula 1 Drivers' and Constructors' Championship standings.
Regardless, here are the full results from qualifying at the F1 2024 Qatar GP as Verstappen takes pole position for the race on Sunday, December 1.
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Time/Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 1:20.520 |
| 2. | George Russell | Mercedes | +0.055 |
| 3. | Lando Norris | McLaren | +0.252 |
| 4. | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | +0.309 |
| 5. | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +0.332 |
| 6. | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | +0.491 |
| 7. | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | +0.521 |
| 8. | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | +0.731 |
| 9. | Sergio Perez | Red Bull | +0.905 |
| 10. | Kevin Magnussen | Haas | +0.980 |
| 11. | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | Out in Q2 |
| 12. | Zhou Guanyu | Sauber | Out in Q2 |
| 13. | Valtteri Bottas | Sauber | Out in Q2 |
| 14. | Yuki Tsunoda | RB | Out in Q2 |
| 15. | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | Out in Q2 |
| 16. | Alex Albon | Williams | Out in Q1 |
| 17. | Liam Lawson | RB | Out in Q1 |
| 18. | Nico Hulkenberg | Haas | Out in Q1 |
| 19. | Franco Colapinto | Williams | Out in Q1 |
| 20. | Esteban Ocon | Alpine | Out in Q1 |
