Verstappen on pole in Jeddah: “It’s really satisfying”

Max Verstappen secured pole position in Jeddah after a highly contested qualifying session, narrowly edging out Oscar Piastri and George Russell. An unexpected performance for the Red Bull driver, who was not the favorite following mixed free practice sessions.

A pole on the wire

The Q3 session was marked by an accident involving Lando Norris, the championship leader, within the first few minutes. This incident reignited the battle for pole position, where Verstappen, Piastri, and George Russell engaged in a close duel. Verstappen ultimately set the fastest time with a 1:27.294, benefiting from a late improvement after being just 0.010 seconds behind Piastri on his first lap.

« I am very happy. I didn’t expect to be on pole here after the free practice sessions. The car came to life tonight. We made some final changes, and it was much more enjoyable to drive. The grip came to me, and here, a qualifying lap is extremely difficult because of all the walls. You really have to get everything right. It’s really satisfying. Being first in qualifying is, of course, the best position for tomorrow, although I think it will be difficult to keep them behind in the race. But we’re going to give it our all. », said the Dutch driver after the session.

The Red Bull strategy

Christian Horner, the Red Bull team principal, explained how strategy played a key role in this pole: « After FP3, we thought third place was the best we could hope for. Then, in Q1, Max was the fastest, and we wondered if McLaren was hiding its game. », he stated.

Detailing the tactic adopted after Norris’s accident in Q3, he specified: Only four cars had two sets of new tires: the two McLarens, George [Russell], and Max. We chose to make two attempts, which was risky because any mistake would have compromised everything. What impressed me was that Max completed his first lap with six or seven extra kilos of fuel, which put pressure on the others. His final lap was exceptional.

A shared satisfaction

For Verstappen, this pole is all the more gratifying as it contrasts with his difficulties at the start of the weekend. Horner admitted that he did not expect such a scenario in qualifying and praised his driver’s resilience: « Honestly, I didn’t think it was possible going into this session. But it shows that you should never give up. We have an excellent team, we keep fighting, looking for performance, and then Max finds that little extra that makes the difference. »

The race promises to be open, with Piastri and Russell determined to contest the victory. But Verstappen, on pole on a circuit where overtaking is complex, has already scored a psychological point. Although Horner acknowledged the McLaren threat: The pole is rewarded because we benefit from clean air, but the McLaren is very fast, especially in race configuration. It will be a real challenge to keep Oscar behind us.

On the other hand, Lando Norris, penalized by his accident, will start 10th. A setback for the Briton, who loses an opportunity to consolidate his lead in the championship, but a golden opportunity for his rivals like Verstappen.