FACTS AND STATS: Max Verstappen closing on Sebastian Vettel record as he bests Oscar Piastri in Jeddah Qualifying

Max Verstappen scored his second pole position of 2025 in Saudi Arabia, matching Oscar Piastri's season total, as championship leader Lando Norris crashed out in dramatic circumstances and qualified in 10th. Here’s a round-up of all the best facts and stats from another thrilling Qualifying session…

Verstappen's pole margin of 0.010s is the closest of the season so far, with the Dutchman's Suzuka pole the previous closest at 0.012s.
The is the fourth successive year that Verstappen has qualified on pole position in Jeddah.
Verstappen's pole time is an outright Jeddah track record, bettering Oscar Piastri's record from a few moments prior, which had in turn bested George Russell's record also set in that Q3 session.
A 105th pole for Red Bull puts the team just two short of fifth-placed Lotus in the all-time rankings, while Verstappen is two short of Sebastian Vettel's record of 44 poles the team.

Second place for Piastri marks McLaren's first-ever top four start in Saudi Arabia.
Lando Norris' crash and failure to set a time in Q3 means Piastri is now the only driver to have started inside the top three at every race this season.
Russell took his best qualifying result in Jeddah with P3. In 2023, he qualified fourth but a penalty for Fernando Alonso meant he started third - a position he will equal on Sunday's grid after missing pole by 0.113s.
Leclerc positioning his Ferrari in fourth on the grid means there are four different constructors in the top four grid slots.
Leclerc has now outqualified Lewis Hamilton 4-1 this season.

JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA - APRIL 19: Second placed qualifier Oscar Piastri of Australia and McLaren in — It was second for Piastri but a best-ever qualifying for McLaren in Saudi Arabia

Kimi Antonelli ties his career best starting position, equalling the fifth place he secured last time out in Bahrain.
Sixth for Carlos Sainz means a Williams will start on the front three rows for the second time this season. Alex Albon achieved the same position in Australia.
Sainz is making his Saudi Arabian Grand Prix return this year, after missing the 2024 running due to undergoing surgery for appendicitis.
Hamilton has only qualified higher than the seventh place achieved in Jeddah once this season - fifth in China.
Hamilton trailed team mate Leclerc by 0.531s.

MUST SEE: Norris dramatically crashes out of Q3 in Saudi Arabian GP Qualifying

Yuki Tsunoda qualifying in the top eight means there are two Red Bull cars on the front four rows for the first time since the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Pierre Gasly is making the ninth grid slot his in Saudi Arabia, as he will start from that position for the third time in four years.
Norris will start from outside the top six places for the first time since the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Norris has only finished on the podium once when starting 10th or lower - this achievement coming at the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix.

JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA - APRIL 19: Charles Leclerc of Monaco driving the (16) Scuderia Ferrari SF-25 — Leclerc has the upper hand on Hamilton in Qualifying this season

Albon scored his best Saudi Arabian Qualifying result with 11th. But after only being outqualified by a team mate twice in 49 races, he has now been bested at consecutive races by Sainz.
Liam Lawson outqualified a team mate for the first time this season, with a 2025 best result coming in Jeddah of 12th.
Alonso equals his worst starting position for 2025 after qualifying 13th.
Alonso continues a streak of being eliminated in Q2 at every race weekend of 2025. He has always started either 12th or 13th.

HIGHLIGHTS: Watch the action as Verstappen tops a thrilling Qualifying in Saudi Arabia after Norris crashes

Qualifying 14th means Isack Hadjar will start from the lowest position of his F1 career.
Ollie Bearman's 15th place grid slot is four places lower than he achieved on his debut with Ferrari last year.
Lance Stroll exited Qualifying in Q1 for the third consecutive weekend, while Jack Doohan bowed out in the same phase for the third time in five events.
Nico Hulkenberg's 18th place Qualifying result means he will start from his lowest-ever grid slot in Saudi Arabia.
Esteban Ocon tied his Australian Grand Prix placing to start from a season-low of 19th. It is the first time he has been outqualified by a team mate in Jeddah.
Gabriel Bortoleto was the slowest driver in Qualifying for the first time in his F1 career.