KEVIN MAGNUSSEN took an unlikely pole position for Saturday’s sprint race in Sao Paulo.
The Danish driver had set the quickest time in qualifying when George Russell slid off the track midway through the session.
Kevin Magnussen took his first ever pole on his 100th appearance for Haas, sparking incredible scenes in the team’s garageRex
ReutersA red flag triggered by George Russell’s beached Mercedes set the stage for Magnussen’s unlikely pole[/caption]
ReutersMax Verstappen (left) and George Russell (right) qualified 2nd and 3rd but were overshadowed by Magnussen’s extraordinary feat[/caption]
His Mercedes car was stuck in the gravel and the stewards red-flagged qualifying. But as the marshals recovered the car, the heavens opened.
It meant that when it resumed, no other driver was able to set a quicker time, as they struggled with the wet conditions.
It was Magnussen’s first pole of his career in his 100th appearance for the Brackley-based Haas team, who had also never been on pole before.
He said: “The team put me on track at the right moment. I was first out on the track and to take pole is incredible.
READ MORE IN F1
“It is maximum attack tomorrow, let’s go for something funny!”
It was a popular pole for the likeable team and their boss Guenther Steiner.
Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc was left furious with his Ferrari team after they bungled their tyre strategy.
At one point they did not have tyres ready for him and on another occasion they sent him out on the intermediate, rather than the slick tyres.
Most read in Motorsport
Max Verstappen will start in second place on the grid for the short sprint race which will determine the grid for Sunday’s Sao Paulo GP.
Russell’s accident actually protected his third place on the grid and he will line up alongside Lando Norris while Lewis Hamilton starts in eighth.
Russell said: “I am massively happy with P3 but congrats to Kevin.
“I think we will have a good race tomorrow.”