Winners and losers from the 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix qualifying
Here's who won and who lost under the lights in Saudi.
Max Verstappen got the best of Oscar Piastri to record his second pole of the year following qualifying in Saudi Arabia.
The Dutchman and the Australian were separated by the barest of margins in a thrilling session under the lights, and here are your winners and losers.
Winners and losers from the 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix qualifying
Winner: Max Verstappen
When you’ve had a tough weekend, what better way to bounce back than with pole?
Red Bull’s two-lap tactic was undoubtedly beneficial, but Max Verstappen’s skills were just as crucial to his pole-setting time.
The car looks better on high-speed circuits, and Verstappen has so far made the most of it. He himself said it would be tough to keep others behind during the race, but the tight nature of the street circuit makes the pole-sitter a clear favourite.
Loser: Lando Norris
A “silly risk” is how Norris described it, but his Q3 crash’s significance may not be felt until the final stage of this championship.
If it is a close-run thing, Norris and others may look back at this momentary error of judgement as his ‘what could have been moment?’ and it comes after a less-than-perfect Bahrain race.
Barring any changes, he will start P10 on Sunday, but with quick cards ahead of him, it will take quite the drive to get back to where he belongs.
Winner: Mercedes
Having missed out on pole, it may seem strange to put Mercedes in the winner category, but they are the only team with two drivers in the top five, which shows how consistently George Russell and Kimi Antonelli have performed this year.
Russell looks to have stepped it up a level this season while Antonelli has made an assured start to life in F1.
The car’s pace is there too meaning Russell would fancy his chances of a victory come Sunday.
Loser: Lewis Hamilton
If you were a Lewis Hamilton fan watching that session, chances are you spent most of it nervously staring at the timing screen.
Seemingly at risk in both Q1 and Q2, Hamilton did make it to Q3 but could only manage seventh, which – in a summary of his season – is his second-best result of the year so far.
The Ferrari car is not quick, everyone knows that, but Charles Leclerc was still six tenths down the road.
Winner: Carlos Sainz
As he got out of his Williams, Carlos Sainz could be forgiven for smiling at the man behind him.
With Hamilton in seventh, Sainz enjoyed another strong quali to go one better and set himself up for a good points score this weekend.
He failed to capitalise on that opportunity last time out in Bahrain so he will be keen to make amends this time round.
Loser: Lance Stroll
A third consecutive Q1 exit for Lance Stroll, who also took the record for the most Q1 eliminations in F1 history.
The pace of the Aston is not where the team wants it to be, but Alonso is at least making it to Q2.
The team can write off the season if they want to focus on 2026 but they must be prepared for more results like this if that is the case.
Winner: Oscar Piastri
It may not have been pole but with Norris in 10th and Verstappen five points behind in the Drivers’ standings, there is every chance Piastri ends Sunday leading the title fight.
A win would see the Dutchman leapfrog the Australian into P2, but Verstappen himself suggested the pace of McLaren would be very strong come race day.
If Piastri had it all his own way last time out, this race could be a lot more gritty and he will be going up against the man with the sharpest elbows on the grid.
Loser: Ferrari
While Hamilton warrants his own entry, the whole of Ferrari is also deserving of a spot on this list.
The Italians, with their new superstar, were being talked about as title contenders, but their performances since pre-season have been anything but.
The car is slow, and it is behind not only the McLaren but also the Red Bull and Mercedes, and even a new floor has done little to close the gap.
Charles Leclerc believed he drove a good lap, but even that was only good enough for fourth place on Sunday’s grid.
The team will target the start of the European run for more upgrades, but by that point, the gap may already be insurmountable.
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