Monza, Italy: Max Verstappen will start the Italian Grand Prix in pole position despite finishing second in Saturday’s qualifying sprint at Monza.
Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas won the 18-lap race ahead of Verstappen but the Finn was already condemned to start Sunday’s race at the back of the grid after being penalized for taking on power unit components in qualifying on Friday.
Red Bull’s Verstappen also claimed two championship points to extend his lead on Lewis Hamilton to five after the reigning champion finished fifth, some 20 seconds off the pace.
“That went a little bit better than expected,” said Verstappen.
“Up to second, scored some points, up to pole tomorrow. It’s going to be an interesting battle tomorrow.”
Hamilton had started the sprint in second behind teammate Bottas but was overtaken by Verstappen and dropped back in the field after a dreadful start which will make his latest bid for a 100th victory that much harder.
Alongside Verstappen on the front row will be McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo, who also breezed past Hamilton in the opening moments and held on to third position to claim second in the grid.
Ricciardo promised “full attack” against Verstappen on Sunday even though he finished over 12 seconds behind the Dutchman and he will have his teammate Lando Norris backing him up in the second row after he finished fourth.
Seven-time F1 champion Hamilton has been stuck on 99 wins since victory at the British GP in July, but after strong displays in both practices and qualifying looked in good shape to make his century.
However he will have his work cut out for him from the second row after Verstappen and Ricciardo came up either side of him in a chaotic start.
French AlphaTauri driver Pierre Gasly would also have stolen a place on the Briton had he not then slid off the track at the first bend after making contact with Ricciardo.
“We’ve got to try and figure out how to get by the McLarens tomorrow and try and limit the damage,” said a disappointed Hamilton.
“Now they (Red Bull) are on pole so it should be an easy race win.”
Just behind Hamilton in the third row will be Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who won at Monza in 2019 and is hoping for the home support to help push the Scuderia to another good result.
His teammate Carlos Sainz will be alongside him after finishing seventh having crashed out of practice earlier on Saturday and then having to sweat on his car being repaired in time for the sprint.
Max Verstappen on pole at Italian Grand Prix, Valtteri Bottas wins sprint
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Max Verstappen on pole at Italian Grand Prix, Valtteri Bottas wins sprint
- Red Bull's Verstappen also claimed two championship points to extend his lead on Lewis Hamilton
- Alongside Verstappen on the front row will be McLaren's Daniel Ricciardo
Real Madrid victory in Super Cup semi-final sets up fourth consecutive El Clásico in Saudi Arabia
- Early Valverde rocket set the tone for a physical encounter in front of a packed Al-Inma Stadium
- 55,651 fans attended the match, topping Barcelona-Athletic Bilbao’s crowd by more than 5,000
JEDDAH: While Wednesday saw a sea of blue and red take over Al-Inma Stadium, Thursday belonged almost entirely to the colour white. The second semi-final of the 2026 Spanish Super Cup pitted Madrid Derby rivals Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid against each other in a fiercely contested encounter that ignited within the opening two minutes and ended with a 2-1 victory to Real Madrid.
In the first minute of the game, Real Madrid won a free kick from a position that appeared harmless, but Federico Valverde had other ideas. The Uruguayan unleashed a thunderous long-range strike that flew into the net, sending the stadium into raptures almost immediately.
Despite the early breakthrough, Real Madrid did not dominate proceedings. Atlético controlled much of the shot count, pushing relentlessly as they attempted to overcome the forged “home” advantage enjoyed by their city rivals in Jeddah.
That advantage was not driven solely by Saudi supporters. Ahead of kick-off, official broadcaster Thmanyah Sports got hold of a Real Madrid fan from Iraq who praised the organisation of the event and thanked Saudi Arabia for providing fans from across the region the opportunity to watch their team live.
Atlético didn’t plan on sending those fans home with a smile. They forced Thibaut Courtois into action on multiple occasions, with his save from a corner mid-way into the first half proving key in preserving Real’s lead.
Real did get close to doubling their advantage in the 27th minute when Rodrygo found himself through on goal, executing a trademark Ronaldo chop to beat his marker before being denied by Jan Oblak.
Atlético resumed their push after the break. In the 49th minute, they looked to find Julián Álvarez with a dangerous cross, but Antonio Rüdiger reacted sharply to step in and clear.
Once again, it was Real Madrid’s individual quality that made the difference. Valverde split the defence with a perfectly weighted through ball, releasing Rodrygo, who calmly slotted past Oblak in the 55th minute.
Atlético responded with increased vigour almost immediately. A slick move down the right flank culminated in a cross from Giuliano Simeone, which Alexander Sørloth powered home beyond Raúl Asencio in the 58th minute to bring the contest back to life.
As Atlético pushed for an equaliser, the Real Madrid fans rallied behind their team with chants familiar to Jeddah. Borrowing from one of Al-Ahli’s most popular anthems — one that engulfed Middle Eastern football in recent years — the crowd sang in unison: “For Real we came, from every city.”
Atlético were not fazed, as they came agonisingly close to levelling soon after. Antoine Griezmann produced a spectacular overhead kick from close range, only for Courtois to make another vital save. Moments later, Marcos Llorente broke through on the right once more, but his effort drifted wide.
Llorente continued to threaten, curling another attempt — this time from outside the box — but once again failed to find the target as Atlético searched desperately for a way back into the game.
Ultimately, Real Madrid managed to emerge unscathed, as they held on for the 2-1 victory.
Sunday will see the Al-Inma Stadium host once again, as Barcelona and Real Madrid face off in the fourth consecutive El Clásico Spanish Super Cup final in Saudi Arabia. Barcelona won the first encounter in 2023, followed by a 4-1 victory by Real in 2024, before Barcelona rallied to a 5-2 victory in the 2025 edition.
