Photo Credit: Mark Thompson, Getty Images
Max Verstappen is “incredibly happy to be on pole” at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
Verstappen secured pole position, narrowly beating Mclaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.
His lap outpaced Piastri by just 0.074 seconds, while Piastri edged Norris by 0.017 seconds in Q3.
A three place grid drop for impeding Kevin Magnussen during qualifying now means Piastri will start P5.
This pole position marked the Dutchman’s eighth consecutive since Abu Dhabi 2023, tying the all-time record set by Ayrton Senna during the 1988 and 1989 seasons.
This achievement carries significance at this circuit, where Senna tragically lost his life in 1994.
Speaking after the session, the Red Bull driver shared that this is “a nice memory to him.”
His success came as a surprise given Red Bull’s struggles throughout the weekend thus far. His teammate, Sergio Perez, managed only an 11th place in qualifying.
Verstappen expressed his satisfaction after securing the pole position. He said, “Really difficult weekend so far, even this morning, so incredibly happy to be on pole. I didn’t expect that.
“We made some changes before qualifying and it seemed to feel a bit better and this track is unbelievable.”
He described the intensity of his final lap, stating, “To be so fast, so close to the gravel. I touched the gravel a little on my final lap.
“I’m still pumping. The adrenaline is incredible.”
When asked about Nico Hulkenburg potentially giving him a tow during qualifying, Verstappen explained, “Yeah we were tow buddies out there in Q2 already and Q3.
“He gave me a tow to turn one, turn two.
“I think I did arrive a bit too quick for my liking because I did miss turn two a little bit.”
“[Overall] I think it did help me a little bit.”
Stay tuned for the race tomorrow. Will Mclaren’s pace get them their second consecutive race win in a row? Or will Verstappen take it?
Image Credit: Mark Thompson/Getty Images.
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