Verstappen clocks fastest lap to snatch pole position at Nürburgring thriller

The session began promisingly for Verstappen and his teammates, with Daniel Juncadella immediately storming to the top of the timing sheet. His opening quick lap of 8:01.310 held as the fastest on the Nordschleife for a long stretch.

The action was briefly interrupted when Wolfgang Weber crashed, forcing drivers to adhere to a 60 km/h limit through the Hohenrain section. Once the car was cleared, the ‘Code 60’ restriction was lifted.

Initially, Verstappen only completed an out-lap following Juncadella’s stint. He then handed the wheel to teammate Jules Gounon, but the Frenchman was unable to improve on Juncadella’s time.

Meanwhile, other drivers began posting faster laps. Half an hour before the end of qualifying, times under eight minutes started appearing, while Verstappen’s team remained at 8:01.310, which saw them slip to eleventh overall and ninth in the SP9 class with just fifteen minutes remaining.

With eight minutes left on the clock, Verstappen returned to the Mercedes AMG GT3 EVO car. The Dutchman showcased blistering pace, evident in his sector times, and crossed the line with a 7:51.751, smashing his team’s previous best.

The Red Bull racing driver secured pole with a 2.9-second margin over the second-placed driver in the closing moments of the session.

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