Verstappen on pole, Ferrari dropping its advantage - Talking points from Dutch GP qualifying

Max Verstappen secured pole position for the 2022 Dutch Grand Prix, taking full advantage of the home crowd cheering him on.

Here are key talking points from qualifying. 

Verstappen is unstoppable

Verstappen was in a league of his own leading up to qualifying. Though the practice session didn't always go to plan - especially with his gearbox giving in during the first practice session - he always looked poised for a good result. And the changes the team brought onto the car on Friday night turned it into a torpedo throughout Saturday.

READ: WRAP | 2022 Dutch GP - Verstappen on pole as teammate Perez crashes out

In Q1 and Q2, Verstappen only needed one lap in each to set blistering times to put him ahead of on-track rivals. In Q3, his first run was a bit ragged, but a second run saw him take pole from Charles Leclerc by 0.021 seconds. It was a battle that had everyone on the edge of their seats, and it's clear that the battle for the win will be between Red Bull and Ferrari.

"Unbelievable," an elated Verstappen said after the session. "Today, we had a quick race car again. A qualifying lap around here is insane!"

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Sound on for the cheers ??#DutchGP @Max33Verstappen pic.twitter.com/WhGRSNJGzr

Ferrari has the (race) pace

While Red Bull had the advantage over Ferrari when it mattered, an error in Leclerc's final run cost him a chance to solidify pole position he had held up until the final moments. Both Leclerc and teammate Carlos Sainz dialled up the performances of their Ferrari F1 cars, but it was not to be as Verstappen secured his second consecutive pole around Zandvoort for the second consecutive year.

However, while Red Bull cried