Fifth in FP1, second in SQ1 and SQ2, first in SQ3. Max Verstappen doesn’t surprise anymore—he already did that. For now, it’s enough to confirm the best of his repertoire. Each year he adds to his experience, built on a solid foundation of talent. The latest version of Max stands out for his perfect management of risks and energy. In the free practice session opening the Austin weekend, not all feedback was positive, as the feared ‘bottoming’ appeared more than expected due to the uneven track surface.
Verstappen complained extensively over the radio, but by the end of the session he realized that the problem was shared by all nineteen drivers on track. “The track was incredibly bumpy,” explained team principal Laurent Mekies. “We know this circuit has an uneven surface, but this year it is particularly rough. It took some time to understand what to do and adapt.”
Red Bull made some setup adjustments. “We changed a couple of things,” commented Helmut Marko with a smile, carefully avoiding details. Until the final attack with soft tires, Verstappen appeared in contention for second place (helped by Oscar Piastri not being fully comfortable with his car), an impression confirmed by Max at the start of his flying lap.
In turn 1 Max Verstappen slid more than usual, losing a tenth and a half to Norris. From that moment, a long chase began, allowing Max to recover what he had lost before the final corner. It was in turn 20 that Verstappen built his pole, gaining a tenth in corner speed before entering the straight. “His third sector was superb,” confirmed Marko, “that’s where he built the pole position.”
On the Red Bull pit wall, when they saw Norris’s time of 1’32”214, they thought it would be difficult to beat. “Lando did a fantastic lap in Q3 and it seemed hard to match,” admitted Laurent Mekies, “then Max really pushed in the last corners, gaining the margin that guaranteed pole. The speed with which he took the final corner was insane.”
The Sprint qualifying provided an initial answer to one of the Austin weekend questions, and it fully favored Red Bull. The 71-thousandth-of-a-second margin securing Verstappen’s pole is tiny, but the significance is high because McLaren had hoped to regain the superiority shown in the first two-thirds of the season on the COTA layout.
The MCL39 performed as expected, confirming its potential. What changed the scenario was Red Bull’s improvement. A definitive test was needed on a permanent circuit that emphasizes aerodynamic load—and that test has arrived. In this light, the 71-thousandths gap takes on great importance.
As the season approaches its final phase, small moments could make a difference, but in terms of pure performance it is now clear that Red Bull will be present until the checkered flag in Yas Marina. “We approach things race by race,” Laurent Mekies clarified regarding championship prospects. “I understand some would like to hear different words, but this is our approach. In our Milton Keynes meetings, no one talks about the championship. We work to improve the car’s limits session after session; the rest will come naturally.”
Red Bull’s current form was also confirmed from the opposite side, McLaren. “What we saw in Sprint qualifying confirms that Red Bull has significantly improved their car,” Andrea Stella reiterated. “They are competitive and can fight for victory and pole position on any type of circuit.”
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