Max Verstappen delivered what Red Bull team principal Christian Horner described as “one of his best laps in qualifying, ever.” He secured a surprising pole position for the Japanese Grand Prix with a lap time of 1:26.983, edging out the McLaren drivers, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
With the struggles the Milton Keynes team has seen so far this season, this will be a good day for Verstappen’s side of the garage.
The RB21 has suffered from fundamental issues so far this season, with all three(!) of its drivers complaining of its exceptionally narrow operating window. As we’ve seen today, the car hides exceptional potential, but this is hidden behind a wall of complexity and unreliable performance.
“I mean, we did not expect that,” Horner told Sky Sports F1. “And, you know, Max – I mean, what can you say? Just outstanding, outstanding… like he’s extracted every ounce of performance. And, you know, he and his engineering team, they were working on the preparation, getting the tyres in the right window.
“And I think he’s got the most out of it today. And getting that pole position was completely against the run of form that we’ve been seeing. So, a massive result for him and, you know, a big lift for the team.”
Lando Norris, McLaren, Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Photo by: Clive Rose / Getty Images
He continued, revealing the lengths that Verstappen’s side of the garage went to in a bid for a strong run.
“We have turned the car upside down this weekend. In set-up, we’ve been round the houses with it and Max and his team have done a great job. Just getting the car into the right window and getting the tyres in the right place, just putting everything together.
“I think the McLarens – if they’d have put their laps together on the theoreticals – they’re half a tenth quicker. But they didn’t get that together. Then with Max – he left nothing on the table. That was one of his best laps, I think, in, you know, in qualifying ever.”
These changes paid dividends, as the Dutchman put his car on pole ahead of the McLaren drivers, who have shown almost complete dominance so far this season.
Despite the impressive work today, the team is under no illusions about the work that is still to be done. The RB21 remains to be a challenging machine at this early point of the season, and this must be tackled if Verstappen is to launch a championship attack against the Papaya cars.
