Max Verstappen takes pole in Saudi Arabian qualifying after Lando Norris crashes

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Lando Norris showed just how fine the margins can be when he crashed while chasing pole position at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Max Verstappen stayed just the right side of the limit.

Formula 1 champion Verstappen will start at the front of the grid after the crash by standings leader Norris on Saturday.

Red Bull's Verstappen beat McLaren driver Oscar Piastri's time by .01 of a second on his final run to take pole for Sunday's race. George Russell was third fastest for Mercedes, .113 off the pace.

“I definitely didn't expect to be on pole here,” said Verstappen, who was coming off a difficult race last week in Bahrain amid speculation over his future with Red Bull.

He said “the car came alive" ahead of qualifying after some setup changes, but played down expectations he could turn the pole position into a win, as he did at the Japanese Grand Prix.

“It’s really satisfying," Verstappen said. "To be first there in qualifying is of course the best position for tomorrow, even though I think tomorrow in the race it will be tough to keep them behind, but we’re going to give it a good go.”

Verstappen struggled with overheating in his tires and brakes in Bahrain and was off the pace in the hotter daytime practice sessions in Saudi Arabia. Sunday's race is at night, like qualifying, but Verstappen said he was unsure how the Red Bull car would react to heat building up over the longer distance.

Verstappen was helped in Japan by a track design which makes overtaking difficult. He kept Norris and Piastri behind him throughout that race. The Jeddah track has three zones where drivers can use the DRS overtaking aid, against just one in Japan, something which Piastri said was “a nice difference.”

Verstappen has won two of the four F1 races in Saudi Arabia. Three of the races were won by the driver on pole.

Russell said his and Verstappen's hopes rested on keeping Piastri from getting ahead at the start and controlling the pace, as he did on his way to winning in Bahrain.

“Max and I were just talking now. We both recognize McLaren are other standout favorites and definitely have the the pace on everybody else,” Russell said. “If Oscar gets into the lead you’ll probably see a repeat of Bahrain. If we stay in the order we've qualified, it could be a tight race until the pit stops.”

Norris qualified 10th because of his crash. He had not set a time in the third part of qualifying when he lost control over a curb and ran wide into the wall on the exit of the corner, breaking his car’s suspension. That brought out the red flag, stopping the session until the McLaren could be removed.

Norris, who was checked over at the medical center, said he was “just disappointed” and would try to target a top-five finish on Sunday, in comments to broadcaster Sky Sports.

“I'm going to go and see my engineers and apologize and then see what we can do for tomorrow,” he said. “Tomorrow's going to need a bit of luck.”

Norris has a three-point lead over his McLaren teammate Piastri after four races, but has said he doesn't feel confident in the car and isn't able to drive at his best. Verstappen is eight points off the lead.

It was a mixed picture for Ferrari as Charles Leclerc qualified fourth and Lewis Hamilton was seventh. Hamilton was nearly eliminated in the second part of qualifying, making it into the top-10 shootout only by .007 of a second.

Yuki Tsunoda qualified eighth for his third race as Verstappen's teammate since replacing Liam Lawson at Red Bull.

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McLaren driver Lando Norris' car is carried out of the track after crashing during the qualifying session ahead of the Formula One Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands, center, pole position, is flanked by McLaren driver Oscar Piastri of Australia, left, second fastest time and Mercedes driver George Russell of Britain, third fastest time after the qualifying session ahead of the Formula One Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands, pole position, left, cheers with McLaren driver Oscar Piastri of Australia, second fastest time, after the qualifying session ahead of the Formula One Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands thumbs up after setting the pole position in the qualifying session ahead of the Formula One Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands steers his car during the qualifying session ahead of the Formula One Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain steers his car during the qualifying session ahead of the Formula One Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Torrential rains and flooding have killed more than 100 people in South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe, and authorities warned Friday that more severe weather was expected across several countries in southern Africa.

South Africa has reported at least 19 deaths in two of its northern provinces following heavy rains that began last month and led to severe flooding.

Tourists and staff members were evacuated this week by helicopter from flooded camps to other areas in the renowned Kruger National Park, which is closed to visitors while parts of it are inaccessible because of washed out roads and bridges, South Africa's national parks agency said.

In neighboring Mozambique, the Institute for Disaster Management and Risk Reduction said 103 people had died in an unusually severe rainy season since late last year. Those deaths were from various causes including electrocution from lightning strikes, drowning in floods, infrastructure collapse caused by the severe weather and cholera, the institute said.

The worst flooding in Mozambique has been in the central and southern regions, where more than 200,000 people have been affected, thousands of homes have been damaged, while tens of thousands face evacuation, the World Food Program said.

Zimbabwe’s disaster management agency said that 70 people have died and more than 1,000 homes have been destroyed in heavy rains since the beginning of the year, while infrastructure including schools, roads and bridges collapsed.

Flooding has also hit the island nation of Madagascar off the coast of Africa as well as Malawi and Zambia. Authorities in Madagascar said 11 people died in floods since late November.

The United States' Famine Early Warning System said flooding was reported or expected in at least seven southern African nations, possibly due to the presence of the La Nina weather phenomenon that can bring heavy rains to parts of southeastern Africa.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa visited flood-stricken areas in the northern Limpopo province on Thursday and said that region had received around 400 millimeters (more than 15 inches) of rain in less than a week. He said that in one district he visited “there are 36 houses that have just been wiped away from the face of the Earth. Everything is gone ... the roofs, the walls, the fences, everything.”

The flooding occurred in the Limpopo and Mpumalanaga provinces in the north, and the South African Weather Service issued a red-level 10 alert for parts of the country for Friday, warning of more heavy rain and flooding that poses a threat to lives and could cause widespread infrastructure damage.

The huge Kruger wildlife park, which covers some 22,000 square kilometers (7,722 square miles) across the Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces, has been impacted by severe flooding and around 600 tourists and staff members have been evacuated from camps to high-lying areas in the park, Kruger National Park spokesperson Reynold Thakhuli said.

He couldn't immediately say how many people there were in the park, which has been closed to visitors after several rivers burst their banks and flooded camps, restaurants and other areas. The parks agency said precautions were being taken and no deaths or injuries had been reported at Kruger.

The South African army sent helicopters to rescue other people trapped on the roofs of their houses or in trees in northern parts of the country, it said. An army helicopter also rescued border post officers and police officers stranded at a flooded checkpoint on the South Africa-Zimbabwe border.

Southern Africa has experienced a series of extreme weather events in recent years, including devastating cyclones and a scorching drought that caused a food crisis in parts of a region that often suffers food shortages.

The World Food Program said more than 70,000 hectares (about 173,000 acres) of crops in Mozambique, including staples such as rice and corn, have been waterlogged in the current flooding, worsening food insecurity for thousands of small-scale farmers who rely on their harvests for food.

Imray reported from Cape Town, South Africa. AP writers Charles Mangwiro in Maputo, Mozambique, and Farai Mutsaka in Harare, Zimbabwe, contributed to this report.

AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa

This image made from video shows the scene after flooding in Tete Province, Mozambique, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo)

This image made from video shows the scene after flooding in Tete Province, Mozambique, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo)

This image made from video shows the scene after flooding in Tete Province, Mozambique, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo)