Max Verstappen’s stunning pole position at the Austrian Grand Prix has left his competitors in awe and slight concern.
With a commanding lead of four-tenths in qualifying, Verstappen showed his rivals just how dominant Red Bull can be. His performance left the field trailing, prompting Lewis Hamilton to describe his speed as “insane.” While many would consider such a lead to be the pinnacle of Red Bull’s weekend, Helmut Marko, the team’s motorsport advisor, revealed an even more ominous strategy. According to Marko, the RB20 was specifically set up for optimum race performance on Sunday, suggesting that the best is yet to come for the team.
Marko shared, “I am hugely surprised by this difference [in qualifying]. Four-tenths on this track means a second difference on a circuit like Spa-Francorchamps, or maybe more.” He emphasized that their primary focus was tuning the car for the race, a strategy that has evidently paid off from the very first lap on Friday.
Meanwhile, Red Bull’s pace has also caught the attention of Lando Norris, who secured a spot behind Verstappen on the grid. Norris admitted that though he and Oscar Piastri tried to challenge Verstappen in the sprint race’s initial laps, the Dutchman’s advantage was too significant to overcome. “They were just a pretty good step ahead of us,” Norris remarked, acknowledging the formidable gap in performance.
George Russell, who starts third, echoed these sentiments. While he believes McLaren has the edge over Mercedes, he acknowledges that Verstappen is in a league of his own at the moment. Russell plans to focus on securing a position ahead of the Ferraris rather than attempting ambitious maneuvers against Verstappen and Norris. “No,” he said about trying Turn 1 heroics, “I think last week I lost a lot of time battling with Lando and probably focused too much on the guys ahead of me.”
Charles Leclerc, another driver eyeing a climb up the ranks, recognizes the challenge posed by the superior pace of both Red Bull and McLaren. Despite qualifying sixth due to a mistake at Turn 4, Leclerc remains optimistic. “Top three is optimistic but realistic,” he said, hinting at the potential for surprises in the race.
The competitors have taken note, yet there’s a palpable understanding that Red Bull’s focus on race setup might just be the trump card they need to secure victory on Sunday.
As the grid lines up for the Austrian Grand Prix, all eyes are on Red Bull and Verstappen. The strategic setup for Sunday indicates that their dominance is not just limited to the qualifying laps. With rivals acknowledging the gap, the race promises to be a thrilling display of strategy, skill, and perhaps a bit of surprise on the track.
