Red Bull driver Verstappen punched in a 1m12.272s on his first run in the decisive Q3 session, which was enough to secure his fourth pole of the 2023 season.
Nearest rival, Ferrari’s home hero Carlos Sainz, was a full 0.462s adrift of the flying Verstappen as the double world champion continued his recent devastating form.
Sainz professed that he’d “left nothing on the table” in his quest to become the first Spaniard to win his home race since 2013, but anticipates a tough ask to beat the second Red Bull of Sergio Perez despite his Q2 exit leading to a starting position of 11th.
Perez, who found the Turn 5 gravel on his way to missing a Q3 berth by 0.051s, was one of several high-profile names caught out by spots of drizzle that caused several incidents and a red flag in Q1 due to the volume of gravel on the circuit.
One of those to fall foul of conditions was Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, who incurred floor damage with an early Q1 off that hindered his challenge for pole as the two-time Spanish GP winner could only muster ninth.
Last year’s polesitter Charles Leclerc was dumped out in the first qualifying segment and baffled by the lack of performance from his Ferrari, while George Russell also missed the Q3 cut after a clash with team-mate Lewis Hamilton on the pit straight when he admitted he was “not aware” of the seven-time champion’s presence.
The major beneficiary of their woes was Lando Norris, who surged to a season’s best starting position of third for McLaren in a showing that left him “shocked”.
Source: Autosport