Max Verstappen has surprised both friends and foes by securing pole position in Monza. The Dutchman was not the favourite beforehand, but his knack for the right setup and a better understanding of the Red Bull car earned him the fastest time.
“Our car performs better on medium and low downforce circuits, but this is better than I had anticipated,” Verstappen shared in the paddock after the race. “Given the circumstances we find ourselves in this season, I am pleased with a day’s success like this.”
According to the reigning world champion, the foundation for his pole position was laid as early as Friday. “I was quite satisfied with the car then. Since Zandvoort, we understand the car better and know how we want to set it up. This allowed us to make small steps in each session, which of course helped in the qualification.”
There was some doubt within the team about the setup for the qualification, but Verstappen trusted his instincts. “Before the qualification, some in our team wanted to do something different with the setup, but I said we should approach it differently. Ultimately, such a decision is made with many people, with GP (Gianpiero Lambiase, ed.) and the engineers around me. I understood the questions, but I’m in the car and I feel things. I trusted that a few minor adjustments would make it better, and that worked out well.”
Whether the qualification form is also a harbinger for the upcoming races, Verstappen does not dare to say. “It depends a bit on the circuit. On street circuits with many bumps and slow corners, we will still struggle. But if we can maintain this a bit, it will certainly help a lot on Fridays and in preparation for the weekend.”
