Verstappen and Red Bull Honda were big winners of the day. Ferrari (Vettel) and Mercedes (Hamilton) finished second and third, respectively. Sainz and Leclerc had issues.
INTERLAGOS, Brazil—Saturday, November 16th—On Saturday, Max Verstappen gave team manager Christian Horner a birthday gift. The Dutchman clocked a 1:07:508 best time to take his second pole of the season. Verstappen dominated the first two qualifying sessions in preparation for Sunday’s Brazilian Grand Prix as Red Bull’s engine partner Honda got its first front-row win since 1991.
Sebastian Vettel was second for Ferrari, with Lewis Hamilton–who has already clinched the world title–in third.
Verstappen ran 1:08:242 and 1:06:702 before setting the fastest time midway through the final session. Hamilton began with the best time, followed by Vettel, but Verstappen had no trouble bettering those times. “The car was really good,” Verstappen said afterward. “The track temperature was changing, so we had to adjust to that. But straight away from Q1, the car was flying and really enjoyable to drive, so I’m really happy with this pole position.”
Horner was just as pleased, if not more. “I think he just got the car really hooked up, and the whole package has been working really well,” Horner said on his 46th birthday. “We’ve been a contender for pole in the last three races now, and that’s really encouraging. All credit goes to Honda. They’ve done a wonderful job, and to get their second pole position in the turbo-hybrid era is wonderful. This is a high altitude track, so all credit to them.”
Carlos Sainz Jr. was the big disappointment of qualifying. The McLaren driver suffered a power unit issue midway into the opening session and will begin the race from the last position. Lando Norris, Nico Hulkenberg, his Renault teammate Daniel Ricciardo, Sergio Perez, and Antonio Giovinazzi all were knocked out in the following round.
Charles Leclerc led the rest of the top ten with a fourth-place finish, but the Ferrari driver will start the race in 14th following a fourth engine change on his car. Valtteri Bottas, already disappointed with losing the championship to Hamilton, did not perform well and took fifth.
Alex Albon, who just re-signed with Red Bull for next season, did not prove the team wrong by finishing sixth. Pierre Gasly, in his Toro Rosso, was consistent in finishing seventh, while Kimi Raikkonen was ninth in his Alfa Romeo.
For the first time in a while, the American Haas F1 Team had both drivers qualify in the top ten with Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen eighth and tenth, respectively.
Qualifying with the pole was just the first step for Verstappen. “Of course, I’ll try to finish it off tomorrow,” he concluded.
