Red Bull maestro Max Verstappen said the Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is “the story of our car” after sensationally topping qualifying.
Verstappen’s pole at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, his second of the season in a Red Bull RB21, which by no means is the fastest car on the grid.
Those two pole positions have bookended the Japan, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia triple-header, with the filling of the sandwich being a below-par sixth-placed race result that prompted several doomsdaying headaches at Red Bull.
Even through practice in Saudi Arabia, Verstappen wasn’t confident pole position was on the cards.
“I think one standout is, of course, again McLaren being very competitive, but from our side there’s still quite a bit of work to do and things to understand,” the Dutchman said on Friday, having finished third to the papaya machines and a tenth behind.
That margin grew to over eight tenths in FP3 and had Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner worried.
“I think we all came out of FP3, almost slightly depressed thinking ‘christ, it’s a battle to be on the second row here,’” Horner told Sky Sports F1 after qualifying.
Verstappen, meanwhile, told select media, including Motorsport Week, “I felt immediately more confident when I headed into qualifying.
“We made some minor changes to the car, but they were clearly big enough to feel, and I think that’s a bit the story of our car,” he added.
“It can be really hit and miss. When we get it right, I think it’s competitive, of course.”
So, just like Suzuka, Verstappen executed an incredible pole position lap after Red Bull set-up tweaks to turn things around.
Jeddah is perhaps an even more extreme case, however, given the commitment required to be fast.
“I think at the end of the day, you just need to try and have a clean lap, try to be on the limit,” Verstappen said.
“But around here, honestly, it’s super hard because some corners, like, you want to try and be super close to the wall.
“Sometimes it works out. Sometimes it doesn’t. Braking into [Turn] 22 is very bumpy, so you don’t even see where you’re going when you turn in.
“So it’s very hard to get everything right. But, yeah, clearly, it was good enough. And, yeah, of course, in Q3, you risk everything a bit more.”
What is Red Bull’s story?
The “story” Verstappen refers to is how the RB21’s through-corner balance and tyre deg issues can be found out at particular venues.
This is why Bahrain was such a disaster, thanks to its abrasive surface and low-speed corners.
Jeddah, like Suzuka, is comprised of smoother tarmac and high-speed corners.
“The tarmac is completely different, which has a big influence on the tyres as well,” Verstappen said, reflecting on the difference a week makes.
“Naturally, when you have tracks where you need a lot of rotation mid-corner, and long-duration corners, which you have in Bahrain, that’s a big problem for us.
“Here, it just seems to be a little bit more competitive.
“I’m not saying that it’s solved, but at least it gave me an opportunity to push a bit better and deal with the limitations that we have a bit better.”
READ MORE – Red Bull boss Christian Horner hails ‘phenomenal’ Saudi F1 pole lap from Max Verstappen
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