Despite complaining about his Red Bull car’s understeer during practice and even qualifying, Max Verstappen ended Saturday’s racing at the top of the timesheets.
Max Verstappen claimed that his pole position in the Australian Grand Prix was “unexpected,” but he was able to settle into a rhythm after tweaking the setup of his car.
During the three practice sessions held in Melbourne, the Dutchman did not finish first on the timesheets. Additionally, he complained about having too much understeer for most of the time he was on the radio, even at the beginning of qualifying.
However, he overcame those problems to record the fastest time in Q3, fending off Carlos Sainz’s challenge. And following the session, the three-time Formula One champion said he was pleasantly surprised to have pole.
“I think it has been a bit tough so far this weekend to find a good balance in the car,” he stated. I didn’t really feel like fighting for pole even during qualifying, the first and second rounds.
“However, after we made a few small tickles for the car, I felt like I could really push it to the limit in Q3. And I was really pleased with both of my laps. Although there is always room for improvement, I’m quite happy with the performance as a whole.”
For the first three races of the new season, Verstappen has secured the pole position. He will tie his own record of 10 straight F1 Grand Prix victories if he can turn this most recent one into a victory on Sunday.
It had been “harder to find a good balance in the car,” according to the 26-year-old. However, Red Bull has already this season demonstrated a far faster race pace than their rivals.
Verstappen did, however, imply that he anticipates a greater challenge than normal in Melbourne on Sunday. He went on, “It appears that Ferrari has been going fast and easy all weekend long as well. I hope tomorrow’s race will be interesting.”
Teammate Sergio Perez qualified third behind Sainz, extending his own excellent start to the season. But after being penalized by the stewards for obstructing Nico Hulkenberg earlier in the session, he was eventually dropped to sixth place.
The slightly irritated Mexican said, “I think definitely there was a bit more in it,” and continued by stressing how crucial it is to take care of his tires before the big event.
“We have a fight on our hands against the Ferraris and the rest of the field,” he clarified. Since I believe there will be significant degradation, I don’t think starting position matters all that much right now. We’ve slightly modified our plan for tomorrow; let’s see who can withstand the most degradation.”
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