Max Verstappen is wary of the fast starting Ferraris behind him after securing a front-row start for the 2026 Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix.
Verstappen secured only his second front-row start of the season during qualifying for the race on the streets of the Principality, on Saturday.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli denied the Dutchman by just 0.043 seconds to bag his fourth pole position of the 2026 season.
The 28-year-old has struggled to extract one-lap pace from a tricky RB21. But it would appear that the car has been compliant to his demands, this weekend.
Red Bull has brought an innovative rear-wing to Monaco, in line with the removal of Straight Mode for this weekend, and it seems to have paid off dividends.
“If you would’ve told me yesterday [that I would] be on the front row, I definitely would’ve taken it,” Verstappen told Jenson Button post-qualifying.
“Also [in final practice] this morning, I think we had some difficulties with the car.
“So, heading into Qualifying and being up there I think was extremely positive. Overall, of course, I’m very happy with how Qualifying went, how all the laps went, even though I had to deal with all the traffic and the walls.”
Max Verstappen wary of Ferrari onslaught at F1 Monaco GP
Verstappen called his qualifying exploits as “rewarding” in the face of a solid result for himself and the Milton-Keynes-based team.
“Once you get on top of it and get a clean lap out of it, especially in Qualifying you’re flat-out and on the limit, it’s very rewarding when it goes well,” he added.
That said, the four-time World Champion isn’t quite convinced about his chances to win the race, on Sunday.
Track position is key for the race at the Principality, and the Red Bull driver is more wary of the Ferraris behind him than worrying about getting the jump on Antonelli into the first turn.
The Maranello-based squad has been consistently the quickest off the line with both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc slated to start from the second-row of the grid.
“Let’s see in the start – these cars are quite complicated to start,” Verstappen surmised.
“I have two cars behind me that start quite well, but we’ll see. This was a good day, and I definitely enjoyed it in Qualifying.”
Hamilton, however, has complained about the balance on his SF-26. With the car now in Parc Ferme, after qualifying, this could come as a welcome reprieve for Verstappen over the entire Grand Prix distance.
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