Max Verstappen pulled off a comeback he believed was his best for more than five years to claim pole position for the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, delivering a superb lap under immense pressure that raised him to stand alongside Ayrton Senna with a record eighth consecutive pole.
In the year of the 30th anniversary of Senna’s death at Imola, Verstappen had to dig deep after a torrid weekend during which he and Red Bull have struggled with the car’s grip and balance. He had been out of sorts and down on pace but made it count when it mattered against a huge charge from the McLarens of Oscar Piastri in second and Lando Norris in third, although Piastri was later given a three-place grid penalty for impeding Kevin Magnussen.
