Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen claimed a second career pole position by dominating qualifying for Formula 1’s Brazilian Grand Prix.
Verstappen was quickest in all three qualifying segments around the Interlagos Circuit as he led the way after the first and second runs in the pole position shootout.
Verstappen netted top spot early in Q3 despite a wild moment through Pinheirinho and on his final push lap he clocked a time of 1:07.508s.
Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel secured second on the grid, 0.123s behind the Red Bull driver, while World Champion Lewis Hamilton will start from third for Mercedes, as three different teams secured the leading positions.
Charles Leclerc qualified in fourth position but will drop to 14th on the grid due to his 10-place penalty for taking on a fresh engine.
Leclerc was the only front-runner to negotiate Q2 on the Medium tyres, rather than the Softs, giving him the alternative strategy for Sunday’s race.
Leclerc nonetheless secured the accolade of 2019’s top qualifier as his tally of seven pole positions cannot now be beaten, with Valtteri Bottas – on five – a lowly fifth in the session.
Bottas will move up to fourth, on account of Leclerc’s sanction, with Red Bull’s Alexander Albon fifth.
Pierre Gasly will start from sixth position for Toro Rosso as Haas captured its first double Q3 appearance since May’s Spanish Grand Prix, despite using the Melbourne-spec package.
Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen will start from seventh and ninth respectively, either side of Alfa Romeo’s Kimi Raikkonen.
Lando Norris was 11th for McLaren while Renault suffered a double Q2 elimination, with Daniel Ricciardo 12th and Nico Hulkenberg 14th.
The Renault drivers sandwiched Alfa Romeo’s Antonio Giovinazzi, who caused double waved yellows during the closing stages of Q2 when he spun through the exit of Laranjinha.
Sergio Perez made it through to the second knockout segment of qualifying but finished as the slowest of the 15 runners.
Daniil Kvyat found himself at the wrong end of an ultra-competitive group of midfielders in Q1, sliding through Bico de Pato and Juncao, and took 16th, ahead of Racing Point’s Lance Stroll.
Williams was the slowest team once more as George Russell maintained his unbeaten head-to-head record against team-mate Robert Kubica, holding a half-second advantage.
It has now been a whole year since Williams made it through to Q2.
Carlos Sainz Jr. is set to start from the rear of the grid after he failed to set a timed effort in Q1.
Sainz Jr. suffered a loss of power on his installation lap and while he recovered to the pit lane McLaren did not want to risk sending him out again in case of further damage.
Sunday’s 71-lap Brazilian Grand Prix is scheduled for 14:10 local time
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