Max Verstappen’s pole position in Miami stuns Red Bull: “The car was difficult, but he nailed it”. Max Verstappen stuns in Miami with a surprise pole position despite early struggles.

Another piece of magic from Max
After a very disappointing start to the Miami weekend in terms of performance, including the pit lane disaster that led to a penalty and knocked Max Verstappen out of the points in the Sprint, seeing the Dutch champion on pole position for Sunday’s race came as a genuine surprise even to Red Bull. But the new father once again displayed his immense talent and seems to have made up his mind to fight for the championship against McLaren, despite having an inferior car.

The secret to pole
Speaking to Servus TV, team advisor Helmut Marko explained: “Our car is difficult, and unfortunately we made a mistake in the pits—otherwise we might have even won the Sprint. Max was highly motivated and managed to do what he couldn’t on Friday, namely keep the tyres in the right temperature window. In qualifying, he managed them so well that he still had grip through the final two corners. In this case, it wasn’t about a setup change—the car was optimal for Max from the start. Tyre management was crucial, and he showed that at every stage of qualifying.”

Christian Horner also praised his champion’s performance: “As you can see, becoming a father to a beautiful baby girl has given him an extra boost,” he joked to Sky Sports UK, adding: “His ability to focus and perform is insane—truly impressive. This is his third pole in six races, against all odds. McLaren looked stronger in Q2, but what matters is Q3, and Max is a master—he always delivers under pressure.” – the Red Bull team principal concluded ahead of the Miami Grand Prix.