Max Verstappen matched Mika Hakkinen by achieving pole position at five weekends, following his Sprint victory at the Chinese Grand Prix and securing Red Bull's 100th pole.

• Verstappen is the first driver in the 21st century to achieve the first five poles in a season.
• Alonso and Norris start on the second row chasing the front row lockout from Red Bull.
• Verstappen has now taken pole at 21 different circuits, moving him to fourth in the all-time list.

Despite Red Bull's strong performance, there are still challengers on the grid aiming to outpace them in the race.

• Perez secured second place, marking Red Bull's back-to-back front row lockouts.
• Norris continues to out-qualify his teammate, starting in P4 for the race.
• Mercedes faces a challenging start with George Russell in eighth, lacking a top-six start in the last four Grands Prix.

With Verstappen's dominance in qualifying, the focus shifts to how he maintains his pace in the race and if challengers can disrupt his lead.

Verstappen's pole achievements highlight Red Bull's strong performance, setting the stage for an exciting race with contenders aiming to challenge his dominance.