Sometimes, the difference lies in the details, and it comes down to daring choices, as Red Bull demonstrated by changing Max Verstappen’s rear wing at the very last moment before qualifying to seek more straight-line speed with the DRS closed. It was a calculated risk that paid off, but the pole position also owes a lot to the Dutch driver, particularly for how he managed sectors two and three.
It’s all a subtle game of balance. When the gaps shrink and the grid tightens, details, choices, and sometimes bold gambles decide the outcome. It’s in these moments that teams look for the final fractions of a second that separate pole from second place. Red Bull knows this well, daring to run a lower-downforce rear wing just before qualifying.
An audacious move, considering that during the practice sessions the Milton Keynes team had never tested this configuration with a cut DRS flap, relying only on simulations to predict the impact on top speed and car balance. Still, the decision showed that Red Bull believed in the possibility of stealing pole from its rivals.
As highlighted in Friday’s practice analysis, the Verstappen–Red Bull combination should never be underestimated, particularly on a track that rewards the high-efficiency characteristics the car has displayed repeatedly throughout the season. Signals of a competitive RB21 had already emerged on the first day, especially once power levels were increased and soft-tyre issues were resolved.
Data analysis revealed that despite the lower-downforce wing this year, Max was slightly slower on the straights compared to his 2024 lap when the Red Bull ran a higher-downforce wing, less suited to Monza. This was a promising sign for the rest of the weekend, especially given his strong cornering performance, not far off from the McLaren.
Effectively, Red Bull positioned itself between Ferrari, which runs a fully low-downforce setup optimized for straight-line speed, and McLaren, which paradoxically achieves maximum efficiency with higher downforce, building time through the fast corners. For qualifying, the Milton Keynes engineers therefore opted for a more extreme solution, never tested until that moment.
The decision was also made possible by the confidence in Verstappen, who has repeatedly shown the ability to manage a very low-downforce car at the rear, even on the limit. Notably, Yuki Tsunoda remained on the standard wing, partly because he does not yet have the latest floor updates.
After qualifying, Helmut Marko praised the team’s work but emphasized that only a driver like Max could execute the plan flawlessly: “It’s a combination of the engineers’ inputs, but in the end only a driving genius like Max can carry it out without mistakes. Max made the difference in the third sector, once again.”
Was the choice to run a lower-downforce wing really decisive? Realistically, yes. It did make high-speed cornering more challenging, but new tyres and the good grip level of the asphalt provided extra traction at the crucial moment. Comparing Verstappen with Yuki Tsunoda, although not entirely comparable, highlights key points: Max had a new engine and the updated floor package, giving him some advantage.
On sections where DRS could be used, Max Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda were almost identical in acceleration and top speed. Two reasons explain this: once the DRS flap is open, the aerodynamic drag difference is largely nullified; second, more interestingly, differences appear in sections where DRS was not active.
In these areas, particularly before the Variante della Roggia and the Parabolica, Max was 2-3 km/h faster than Yuki Tsunoda at top speed, especially beyond 300 km/h, with a gap of roughly one and a half tenths. While the wing may not be the only factor – the new floor working with DRS closed may also have contributed – the extreme choice made before qualifying had a significant impact.
Even more interesting is the comparison with Lando Norris. During Friday and Saturday morning practice, the top speed difference between McLaren and Red Bull with DRS closed was minimal, despite engine map adjustments. In qualifying, Max found the extra margin that allowed him to gain those crucial hundredths of a second, decisive for pole.
Another factor is the increased difficulty in corners with a lower-downforce wing, which highlights the driver’s skill. Verstappen was masterful at limiting time lost at Ascari and especially through the Parabolica, always one of his strong points. Over the years, the four-time world champion has consistently been highly effective in that section, and he showed the same this weekend, keeping close to a McLaren that had been dominant there all weekend.
This pole is important not only because it allows Max Verstappen to control the race pace but also because Red Bull retained a second set of hard tyres in case of heavy graining or a chaotic race. The low-downforce wing certainly contributed to building the pole lap, but alongside the technical choices, the “Max factor” – his exceptional skill – made the bold gamble a winning one.
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