SportBeep.com
  • Home
  • Football
  • Basketball
  • Soccer
  • Tennis
  • Baseball
  • Athletics
  • More
    • Golf
    • Hockey
    • Combat sports
    • Cricket
    • Figure Skating
    • Racing
    • Skiing
    • Swimming
    • Rugby
No Result
View All Result
SportBeep.com
  • Home
  • Football
  • Basketball
  • Soccer
  • Tennis
  • Baseball
  • Athletics
  • More
Home Racing

Verstappen matches Senna pole record at Imola

Mike McMahon by Mike McMahon
May 18, 2024
in Racing
Reading Time: 3 mins read
A A
0
23
SHARES
293
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Max Verstappen on his way to matching Ayrton Senna's record of eight consecutive poles in qualifying at Imola . ©AFP

Imola (Italy) (AFP) – Max Verstappen secured his eighth consecutive pole position in qualifying for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola on Saturday to equal the record of Ayrton Senna.

The Red Bull three-time world champion’s dominance in qualifying drew him level with Senna’s run of eight poles, poignantly three decades after the late great Brazilian’s tragic death at the Italian circuit in 1994.

Related news

New Zealand’s Dixon wins seventh IndyCar Mid-Ohio title

July 7, 2025
319

Hall of Fame trainer Lukas, four-time Kentucky Derby winner, dies at 89

June 30, 2025
317

EU approves MotoGP takeover by F1 owner Liberty Media

June 23, 2025
241

Hall of Fame trainer Lukas ill, won’t return to racing: Churchill Downs

June 22, 2025
249

Palou wins at Road America to boost IndyCar season lead

June 22, 2025
525

Three things we learned from the Canadian Grand Prix

June 17, 2025
477

“It’s a great start to the year but also very special 30 years since he passed away at this track,” said Verstappen.

“Of course, very pleased to get pole here and in a way it’s a nice memory to him (Senna), he was an incredible Formula 1 driver especially in qualifying laps as well, so a great day for me and a great day for the team, I’m very very happy.”

Oscar Piastri’s McLaren will start alongside the unstoppable Dutchman on Sunday after posting the second fastest time 0.074 seconds behind in a tight qualifying session.

Tha Australian’s teammate Lando Norris, winner last time out in Miami, posted the third best time to fill the second row alongside the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc.

Carlos Sainz in the other Ferrari will set off on the third row with the Mercedes of George Russell for company.

Yuki Tsunoda’s RB, Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), Daniel Ricciardo (RB), and Nico Hulkenberg (Haas) rounded out the top 10.

The glaring absentee from the first five rows was the Red Bull of Sergio Perez, who went out in the second qualifying session, the Mexican muttering “what a mess” on the team radio.

– ‘Tiny margins’ –

Piastri in contrast was thrilled to get so close to taking pole.

“My lap was a bit scruff in the final corner, but it is so difficult to do a perfect lap at this circuit but I’m very happy.”

Norris, who claimed his maiden victory two weeks ago, said: “P3 is not a bad job and both of us are within a tenth of P1, so it is all about tiny margins. We’ve had a good day and a good weekend so far.”

After a chaotic third practice on a beautiful sunlit day at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari Verstappen was swiftly on the pace and went top after eight minutes in 1:16.013 only to be outpaced within a minute by Piastri and then Norris, the McLarens endorsing their practice speed.

Fernando Alonso’s difficult day continued when his Aston Martin went off at the exit of Tamburello, taking a dive through the gravel, but avoiding any contact with the barriers. He pitted, accepting he could not improve on 20th and last on the grid.

Hulkenberg then went top for Haas before Verstappen outpaced him along with Leclerc as Q1 ended with Valtteri Bottas of Sauber, Logan Sargeant of Williams Zhou Guanyu of Sauber and Kevin Magnussen, in the second Haas, exiting with Alonso.

Hamilton was out early to top Q2 ahead of Russell before the Red Bulls finally found their pace, Verstappen going top in 1:15.386, despite running wide at Rivazza, with Perez second. All were running on softs.

Leclerc then took the initiative with Tsunoda slotting into second place, all proof that Red Bull were not having it their own way – and the top seven all within half a second of the pace.

On their second runs, Verstappen improved to take top spot, but teammate Perez missed out on the top-ten shootout and was eliminated in 11th along with Esteban Ocon of Alpine, Lance Stroll of Aston Martin, Alex Albon of Williams and Pierre Gasly, sporting a Senna-yellow helmet, in the second Alpine.

Hulkenberg was first out for Q3, as the temperature fell, with Verstappen revelling in the cooler conditions. He clocked 1:14.869 to go top with Norris second on his first timed run ahead of Leclerc, Piastri and Sainz. The top four were separated by four-tenths of a second for the final runs which saw Verstappen, digging into his reserves of talent, grab pole with a dazzling lap in 1:14.746 – a clear example of an outstanding driver delivering beyond the potential of his car.

© 2024 AFP

Tags: ayrton sennaFormula 1ImolaMax Verstappen
Share9Tweet6Share
Mike McMahon

Mike McMahon

Born in Shanghai and raised in the vibrant streets of New York City, his passion for sports ignited early on. Armed with a journalism degree from Columbia University, he embarked on a dynamic career, seamlessly transitioning from a rookie reporter for a local newspaper to a revered figure in digital media. With an insatiable thirst for storytelling and a profound understanding of the games he covers, Mike has captivated audiences with his insightful analysis and engaging writing style. From courtside at basketball games to the sidelines of soccer matches, his journey from a young dreamer to a respected veteran serves as an inspiring testament to his unwavering dedication and love for the game.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
guest
0 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Follow Us

Popular News

  • ‘Rarely been so angry’: Bayern’s Kompany seethes after Musiala injury

    33 shares
    Share 13 Tweet 8
  • Kipyegon, Duplantis, Thompson highlight Eugene Diamond League

    55 shares
    Share 22 Tweet 14
  • Ravenous return: Fast-chewing Chestnut wins July 4th hot dog contest

    19 shares
    Share 8 Tweet 5
  • ‘Difficult day’ for Al Hila’s Portugal pair – Inzaghi

    58 shares
    Share 23 Tweet 15
  • Ghim leads PGA Tour John Deere Classic, Homa one adrift

    39 shares
    Share 16 Tweet 10
SportBeep.com

Welcome to SportBeep, your ultimate destination for all things sports! If you're passionate about the NFL, NBA, MLS, NHL, MLB, or any other sport, you're in the right place. Here, you'll find the latest news, in-depth analyses, and commentary on the most important sporting events and personalities from around the world.

Pages

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us

News

  • Football
  • Basketball
  • Baseball
  • Soccer
  • Hockey
  • Tennis
  • Golf

Network

  • Coolinarco.com
  • CasualSelf.com
  • Fit.CasualSelf.com
  • Sport.CasualSelf.com
  • MachinaSphere.com
  • EconomyLens.com
  • MagnifyPost.com
  • TodayAiNews.com
  • VideosArena.com

© 2024 SportBeep ~ Top Sports News from around the world!

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Football
  • Basketball
  • Soccer
  • Tennis
  • Baseball
  • Athletics
  • More
    • Golf
    • Hockey
    • Combat sports
    • Cricket
    • Figure Skating
    • Racing
    • Skiing
    • Swimming
    • Rugby

© 2024 SportBeep.com - Best Sport News