Sergio Perez takes surprise pole for Saudi Arabian GP after Max Verstappen encounters power issue

independent.co.uk:

Sergio Perez took a surprise pole position for Sunday’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix after his Red Bull team-mate Max Verstappen suffered a mechanical failure in qualifying.Verstappen will line up only in 15th, but Perez salvaged some joy for Red Bull by beating Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc to second, with Fernando Alonso third for Aston Martin.George Russell finished fourth, but his Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton qualified only eighth.Verstappen had been the odds-on favourite to race to top spot under the lights in Jeddah after he topped all three practice sessions in his dominant Red Bull machine.But drama struck for the Dutchman in Q2 when a suspected driveshaft issue hit his Red Bull.Verstappen gingerly limped back to the pits, but with fewer than seven minutes remaining, his mechanics were unable to resolve the failure.Verstappen’s qualifying was dramatically over and his father Jos removed his headphones despondently at the back of the Red Bull garage.Verstappen crushed his rivals a fortnight ago in Bahrain and – following a supreme run in practice – the Dutchman had been expected to take pole and cruise to a second win in as many races.Sergio Perez claimed pole position for the second round of the season (Hassan Ammar/AP)But his early exit means he will have to carve his way back through the field at the fastest street circuit on the Formula One calendar.Verstappen’s premature end levelled up the playing field and all eyes were suddenly on Alonso and whether the Spaniard, in his rejuvenated Aston Martin, might capture his first pole since the German Grand Prix in 2012.But it was Perez who marched to the second pole of his career at the same venue where he claimed his maiden qualifying triumph a year ago.Max Verstappen