Max Verstappen secured pole position for the Australian Grand Prix, yet there linger some apprehensions within the Red Bull team.
Acknowledging his pole position, Max Verstappen expressed that it felt akin to a ‘bonus’ and voiced a lesser certainty regarding victory in Sunday’s race than his confidence in the previous Bahrain and Saudi Arabia rounds.
This sentiment concerns team principal Christian Horner, who eagerly anticipates his team’s bid for a tenth consecutive win.
Despite a persistent threat from the Scuderia throughout the weekend, Verstappen successfully fended off the challenge posed by the Ferrari duo of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc. He secured pole position by a margin exceeding two-tenths of a second.
Presently, Verstappen finds himself in the optimal starting position as he aims to match a record-equalling tenth successive Grand Prix victory.
Nonetheless, the Dutchman harbors apprehension regarding tyre wear, which could potentially impede Red Bull’s capacity to withstand Ferrari’s formidable race pace showcased during their practice simulations.
He elaborated: “We struggled all weekend to find the right balance. That is why it is still a bit difficult to estimate how we will keep the tyres alive tomorrow. This pole already feels a bit like a bonus. Heading into the race, I am less convinced of a victory than I was earlier in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.”
Should Verstappen encounter a formidable opponent for victory in Melbourne on Sunday, it’s anticipated to be Sainz.
While many anticipated Leclerc to pose the greatest challenge this weekend, it was the Spaniard who asserted dominance over his teammate throughout qualifying, positioning himself alongside the polesitter when the race commenced.
The reigning champion owes part of his latest pole position to the diligent work of the Red Bull engineers. Horner disclosed that the crew had meticulously fine-tuned the front wings during qualifying sessions to optimize performance for Verstappen and teammate Sergio Perez.
“All through practice and qualifying, we’ve been giving away a tenth-and-a-half in sector three, and finally managed to get the balance right [for qualifying],” he elaborated.
“Max did two great laps, both of which were good enough for the pole, and Checo delivered a great lap to put himself third on the grid, so first and third is really good for tomorrow.
“I think we tried the full range of the front-wing adjust through that session, and it just kept going up and up and up on the front wing, and it is quite windy as well. It is getting cooler as well towards the end of qualifying, but he got it together, got it worked out, and did two great laps.”
