Verstappen: Red Bull didn't expect to be this good in French GP qualifying
French Grand Prix polesitter Max Verstappen did not expect Red Bull to score such a strong Formula 1 qualifying result at Paul Ricard, where it has "traditionally" struggled against Mercedes.
Verstappen picked up his second pole of the 2021 season by edging out Lewis Hamilton for the top spot in qualifying at Paul Ricard on Saturday, ending Mercedes' dominance in the sessions that mattered at the French GP since it returned to the F1 calendar in 2018.
He claimed his fifth F1 career pole by 0.258s and later explained that "from FP2 I think we made a good step forwards and basically that continued today".
He added: "Of course, the conditions in FP3 were initially a little bit different [cooler and overcast], but then again it showed in qualifying that we had good pace.
"So, of course [I'm] very pleased with that. This has traditionally not been an amazing track for us, but to be able to put it on pole here of course we're super happy about that.
"I knew it was going to be better than the last time we were here, but this good? I didn't expect [that].
"So, that's of course very promising for us and we just have to keep on going, keep on pushing to try and make it better."
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB16B
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
When asked about Red Bull's chances of inflicting a first Mercedes race defeat at Paul Ricard since it re-joined the F1 calendar, Verstappen said of his practice long-run pace: "It felt good yesterday in FP2."
"But, of course, we have to wait and see what the weather will do in the morning [rain has been predicted pre-race]. But I'm quite confident."
The F1 timing screens indicated that Verstappen had gone off track and continued at Turn 2 on both his Q3 runs.
Here, the exit of the track that is not policed for track limits, but does have several large kerbs running almost perpendicular to the circuit behind the normal red/white kerbs at the exit of the corner, which caused damage to Verstappen's car in FP2 when he ran across the raised kerbs and did likewise to Valtteri Bottas in FP1.
Verstappen was heard asking Red Bull to check his front wing between his Q3 runs, which he said was "just to double check" and was something "I do quite often".
"But I think it was fine," he said of his Turn 2 line in qualifying.
"As long as you don't hit those yellow sausages then you're fine. I knew I didn't touch them and just straightaway knew the front wing should be fine."
Verstappen improved by 0.335s on his final Q3 lap, having led the top 10 shootout session after the opening runs.
He said the gain was down to "just general understanding of the track".
"And of course," he added. "We did two runs with the medium in Q2, so then you go out in Q3 on the soft and you're always a tiny bit under the potential in your first run.
"And then on the second run, you know where you left a bit of lap time, so you're just gaining more or less every corner – just a tiny bit. And I think that's where the lap time comes from."
Related video
The 'surprise' Mercedes time that puts F1's victory fight back on a knife-edge in France
Red Bull led the way after the first two practice sessions for the 2021 French Grand Prix, but only just ahead of Mercedes. There was all the usual practice skulduggery complicating the performance picture, but one aspect seen at the world champion squad gave it a ‘surprise’ lift, as it looks to leave its street-circuit struggles firmly in the past
How Ferrari got its F1 recovery plan working
After its worst campaign in 40 years, the famous Italian team had to bounce back in 2021 – and it appears to be delivering. Although it concedes the pole positions in Monaco and Baku paint a somewhat misleading picture of its competitiveness, the team is heading into the 2022 rules revamp on much stronger footing to go for wins again
The joy that exposes F1’s key weakness
Long-awaited wins for ex-Formula 1 drivers Marcus Ericsson and Kevin Magnussen in IndyCar and IMSA last weekend gave F1 a reminder of what it is missing. But with the new rules aimed at levelling the playing field, there’s renewed optimism that more drivers can have a rewarding result when their day of days comes
The figures Red Bull and Mercedes can't afford to see again in F1 2021
OPINION: An interloper squad got amongst the title contenders during Formula 1’s street-circuit mini-break, where Red Bull left with the points lead in both championships. But, as the campaign heads back to purpose-built venues once again, how the drivers of the two top teams compare in one crucial area will be a major factor in deciding which squad stays in or retakes the top spot
Why Alfa's boss is ready for the task of securing a stronger F1 future
Two tenth places in recent races have lifted Alfa Romeo to the head of Formula 1's 'Class C' battle in 2021, but longer-term the Swiss-based squad has far loftier ambitions. With the new 2022 rules set to level out the playing field, team boss Frederic Vasseur has good reason to be optimistic, as he explained to Autosport in an exclusive interview
How Barnard’s revolutionary McLaren transformed F1 car construction
The MP4/1 was pioneering by choice, but a McLaren by chance. STUART CODLING relates the tangled (carbonfibre) weaves which led to the creation of one of motor racing’s defining cars
Why the end is nigh for F1’s most dependable design tool
Windtunnel work forms the bedrock of aerodynamic development in Formula 1. But as PAT SYMONDS explains, advances in virtual research are signalling the end of these expensive and complicated relics
Why polarising Mosley’s legacy amounts to far more than tabloid rumour
The newspapers, naturally, lingered over Max Mosley’s tainted family history and niche sexual practices. But this is to trivialise the legacy of a big beast of motor racing politics. STUART CODLING weighs the life of a man whose work for safety on both road and track has saved hundreds of thousands of lives, but whose penchant for cruelty remains problematic and polarising
