Zandvoort Sep 3 (BUS): Max Verstappen had a great final run to take pole at Sunday’s Dutch Grand Prix, just ahead of Charles Leclerc.
The Red Bull driver beat Leclerc’s Ferrari by just 021 seconds on Saturday with a huge roar from Verstappen’s Orange Army of Fans, according to the Associated Press.
But the session was interrupted earlier when a torch was thrown onto the track. The FIA’s governing body said the culprit had been removed from the stands by security.
The widespread use of flares from Verstappen fans has been a concern at some races, notably at Austria’s Red Bull Ring in July and at last weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix – both packed with Verstappen fans.
Carlos Sainz Jr qualified third for Ferrari, ahead of Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, while Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez qualified fifth.
Leclerc took the lead time and went faster in his last run to put pressure on Verstappen. But a brilliant midfield helped the Dutchman snatch his fourth pole this season. Moments after Verstappen crossed the line, Perez plowed off the track to collect a yellow flag in the final seconds.
Verstappen was the fastest in the first round of qualifying, known as Q1, ahead of Hamilton.
Four-time F1 champion Sebastian Vettel (Aston Martin) and Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren) were among the five drivers eliminated. Vettel looked good in the second quarter but went too far into the gravel towards the end of his last run.
A red flag appeared at the start of Q2 after the torch was thrown and the session was suspended for several minutes. But Alex Albon, the only driver on the track at that point, also complained about “tons of pigeons” around the beachside circuit.
Sainz topped the second quarter in the Mercedes of competitive George Russell, but two-time F1 champion Fernando Alonso miscalculated on his last run and was knocked out.
Verstappen won here last year, against Dutch King Willem-Alexander and his legions of orange-clad fans on the coastal path outside Amsterdam.
Leclerc led in the third and final practice on Saturday, just 0.066 seconds ahead of Russell and .161 ahead of Verstappen.
After struggling in Belgium on the long spa track, Mercedes looked more comfortable on the highly banked Zandvoort track, where a gearbox failure restricted Verstappen to seven laps in first practice on Friday. He finished eighth in the second round.
Sunday’s win would be Verstappen’s fourth straight and tenth of the season – last year’s tally – and push him closer to a second successive world title.
He beats Perez by 93 and Leclerc by 98, with the Italian Grand Prix at Monza following behind and only six races after that.
insult