Verstappen earns pole position for Qatar GP after disappointing sprint

Red Bull's Max Verstappen overcame a disappointing eighth-place finish during the sprint to claim pole position for the Qatar Grand Prix during Saturday's qualifying session.

The drivers' champion finished ahead of Mercedes' George Russell and the McLaren duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

It's Verstappen's ninth pole of the season and his first since Austria in late June.

"Crazy. Honestly, I also didn't expect that," Verstappen said after winning pole, according to BBC's Andrew Benson.

"Well done to the team to give me a car that feels a bit more connected, and once the car is more together, you can push a lot harder."

The Dutch champion is under investigation for driving too slowly during Q3, which nearly caused a collision between him and Russell. The Mercedes driver described Verstappen's driving as "super dangerous" over team radio.

Red Bull and Ferrari are attempting to catch McLaren for the lead in the constructors' championship. McLaren holds a 30-point lead over Ferrari and sits 67 points ahead of Red Bull.