Andrew Benson, the F1 Correspondent, reports on a remarkable turn of events at the Qatar Grand Prix. In the final seconds of qualifying, Red Bull's Max Verstappen snatched pole position from Mercedes' George Russell. Russell had initially been the fastest after the first runs in the final session but was edged out by a mere 0.055 seconds on Verstappen's final lap. McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri achieved third and fourth places, with Piastri leading a one-two in the earlier sprint race. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc took fifth, followed by Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari's Carlos Sainz, and Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso.

Verstappen's Remarkable Turnaround

Verstappen's pole position was a significant comeback after the Red Bull had finished an uncompetitive eighth in the sprint. The world champion had previously complained of a lack of grip and balance during the sprint, but the team managed to find a better setup for the main qualifying session. This resulted in Verstappen's first pole since the Austrian Grand Prix at the end of June. Verstappen expressed his surprise, saying, "Crazy. Honestly, I also didn't expect that. Well done to the team to give me a car that feels a bit more connected and once the car is more together you can push a lot harder. We did change a bit on the car but I never thought it would make such a swing in performance, it felt a lot more stable over one lap and that is exactly what we need."The team's efforts paid off, and Verstappen demonstrated his exceptional driving skills to claim the pole position. This victory is a testament to his talent and the Red Bull team's ability to adapt and improve.