Max Verstappen took pole position for the Qatar Grand Prix after struggling for raw speed throughout the weekend.
The Dutchman lacked pace throughout practice and in the Sprint on Saturday, where he could only manage eighth place and a single point after 19 laps for Red Bull.
Verstappen has eased the pressure slightly heading into Qatar by taking his fourth world championship last time out in Las Vegas.
He took a superb pole position as George Russell, and Mercedes continued to impress over the Qatar Grand Prix weekend.
Verstappen did one thing in particular in qualifying in Qatar that Jenson Button hadn’t seen before despite have a long career in Formula 1.
Jenson Button had never seen Max Verstappen be ‘so close’ to being out of the top 10 in qualifying
Verstappen had struggled by his lofty standards throughout the opening stages of the Qatar Grand Prix as the track continued to improve.
Sergio Perez was also much better than in previous races this season as he broke into the top 10 after getting knocked out in Q1 in Sprint qualifying.
The reigning world champion wasn’t at the sharp end of the field throughout the opening stages of qualifying but delivered in Q3.
READ MORE: Christian Horner thinks Max Verstappen did something ‘hugely unusual’ in the Qatar Sprint
Button explained when commentating on Sky Sports F1 that he had never seen Verstappen struggle to break into the top 10.
He said: “It’s still pretty close, isn’t it, that top 10? I’ve never seen Max so close to being out of the top 10, if you like. I think it’s going to be a very, very competitive session.”
Max Verstappen is looking for his ninth win of the season
Verstappen started the campaign in dominant style as he won seven of the first 10 races, taking advantage of Red Bull’s dominant car.
He endured a difficult run throughout the summer as McLaren became more competitive, but the four-time world champion minimised the damage.
The Red Bull driver took a superb win at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix after starting from 17th on the grid that put him on the verge of the championship.
A ninth win of the season at the Qatar Grand Prix would be a significant bonus after clinching the championship last time out in Las Vegas.
