Max Verstappen says there are no guarantees the pace he had during Qualifying for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Saturday will translate into a strong performance on race day, but the Dutchman put himself into prime position for his maiden Drivers’ Championship by taking pole position.
The Red Bull Racing driver benefitted from a well-timed tow from team-mate Sergio Pérez to give him top spot in Qualifying ahead of title rival Lewis Hamilton, although his plan to start on the medium tyre disappeared after locking up his tyres on his first run in Q2.
Verstappen will start on the soft tyre, which should give him an advantage off the line but fall away earlier than the medium compound, but he hopes to be able to use the tyres to his advantage to secure his maiden title on Sunday.
“It’s always good to have a performance like this one today, but there are no guarantees for tomorrow, I still expect it to be a really hard battle,” said Verstappen. “I originally planned to start on the mediums but I flat spotted my tyres so I had to go onto the softs, I actually felt okay on the softs during the long runs so hopefully it will work out tomorrow in the race.
“So far, the car has been good and throughout the practice sessions we made some good improvements to the car. I think everything worked out well, especially with Checo’s help, it was nicely executed. He’s a great team-mate and a real pleasure to work with so a big thank you to him.
“I hope we have a good start and from there on in we can have a great race.”
“I think our teamwork today was great” – Sergio Pérez
Team-mate Pérez will line-up fourth after giving Verstappen the important two to take pole, and he was pleased the teamwork went in their favour especially when so many things could go wrong.
The Mexican dropped behind McLaren F1 Team’s Lando Norris in the final moments of Qualifying, but he feels he can still play a part in the championship battle from the second row as he bids to aid Verstappen in his battle with Hamilton.
“I think our teamwork today was great, especially for Q3 and I am pleased for the Team and the result, it was very nice to see Max taking the pole,” said Pérez. “Max and I talked about the tow together and with the Team, we managed to do a great one!
“It is very difficult to time it, if you are too close you can hurt the other car and lose some downforce. It worked perfectly; I think if we tried it again then it is very likely it would go wrong!
“This weekend has been a lot of work for everyone in the Team and we have been pushing extremely hard so I am just pleased we managed to work it out. Lining up fourth on the grid is not ideal for me but that wasn’t the main thing today. I lost out on P3 in the final corner but it’s not a disaster, there is still plenty of things I can do tomorrow.
“My aim will be to make a difference at the front, I will try to get Lando at the start so I can support Max early on. There is still a lot we can do starting on the soft tyre; it is a long game and we don’t think the starting tyre is going to dictate too much.
“I think there is a great race ahead of us.”
Sergio Pérez will line-up fourth in Abu Dhabi – Credit: Octane Photographic Ltd