Max Verstappen found an extra tenth of pace to take pole in Qatar and reverse Red Bull’s fortunes. In a tight session, Verstappen found an extra few hundredths of a second to secure the fifth pole of his F1 career.

Lando Norris ignored team orders and handed his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri the sprint race in Qatar on Saturday, while Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen was stripped of the pole position. His penalty elevated George Russell to first on the grid.

In a chaotic Qatar Grand Prix that saw multiple drivers' races affected by penalties, McLaren saw their hopes of winning the Constructors' Championship in Lusail dashed after Lando Norris was hit with a controversial stop-and-go penalty after ignoring yellow flags because of debris on the track.