Max Verstappen claims pole for Qatar GP but faces investigation over incident with George Russell
Max Verstappen secured pole position for the Qatar Grand Prix, marking his first pole in five months. He edged out George Russell by just 0.055 seconds, despite finishing eighth in the earlier sprint race. However, Verstappen is under investigation for potentially impeding Russell during qualifying. Russell described the incident as "super dangerous." McLaren's Lando Norris qualified third, as the team aims for their first constructors' title since 1998, leading Ferrari by 30 points. In the sprint race, Norris and teammate Oscar Piastri finished first and second, boosting McLaren's championship hopes. They need a 45-point lead by the end of the weekend to secure the title, otherwise, it will continue to the final race in Abu Dhabi.