"It's a good start to the weekend" - Max Verstappen after pipping Charles Leclerc to pole at 2022 F1 Imola GP

Max Verstappen went fastest at the end of the qualifying session at the 2022 F1 Imola GP. The Dutchman secured his first pole position of the season and will be starting Saturday's sprint race in P1.

Friday's qualifying session was full of twists and turns, with multiple red flags and rainy weather plaguing the session. Ferrari's Carlos Sainz missed out on Q3 after crashing out in Q2 with around seven minutes to go, pushing him back to P10 for Saturday's sprint race. The Spaniard's crash changed the outcome of the session for many, with both Mercedes cars failing to make it into Q3 due to worsening conditions. Charles Leclerc, on the other hand, narrowly lost out to Max Verstappen in Q3 after a late red flag stopped him from improving at the end of the session.

Speaking to Davide Valsecchi in parc fermé after the session, Max Verstappen expressed his optimism for the rest of the weekend, saying:

“It was tricky out there - well, dry and rain. It was very slippery and tough to get the tire temps to work. You know, it was hectic. A long qualifying. But I am very happy to be here, it’s an amazing track which also really punishes you if you make a mistake. So that’s what we like, you know, to make it really hard and difficult. Very pleased with pole position. I know tomorrow and Sunday will be a bit different in terms of weather conditions but it’s a good start to the weekend.”

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Max Verstappen claims rivalry with Charles Leclerc 'feels natural' in 2022

Max Verstappen revealed that his battle with Charles Leclerc feels natural since the duo has faced each other earlier in go-karts. The reigning champion claims he has had some nice duels with the Ferrari driver, which he has enjoyed. The most recent of which was at the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, where the Monegasque and Dutchman battled hard towards the end of the race.

Speaking to La Gazetta dello Sport, Verstappen said:

“Every driver is different, in the way they attack or defend. That’s why you always have to go into the fight in a unique way. It feels natural to compete against drivers that I have competed against in the past in karts and have now come to F1.”

He continued on his rivalry with Leclerc, saying:

“In particular Charles [Leclerc]; it’s nice to see that we are two young guys competing for victories – we’ve fought some nice duels so far. I’m [also] happy that my friend [Carlos] Sainz is now driving a competitive Ferrari, after we made our debut together in 2015.”

With Leclerc set to be right behind the Red Bull driver at the start of Saturday's sprint race, many are expecting the fierce rivalry to continue. Fans of the two drivers, however, are hoping that the battle between the two remains clean and fair, unlike much of the Verstappen-Hamilton championship battle of 2021. Catch the action live as F1 goes to Imola for the first sprint race of the 2022 season.