Max Verstappen put in a solid performance on Saturday, but was unable to take pole position in Silverstone during qualifying. The Dutchman will only start the Formula 1 British Grand Prix in second place, behind Carlos Sainz Jr. However, the Red Bull driver is rather positive, in particular thanks to the performance of his car, and reveals his game plan for the race.
Despite a complicated start to the weekend, Max Verstappen was able to turn things around on Saturday. The Dutchman was unable to take part in the first free practice session due to Lance Stroll’s accident, and his first hour of practice during the second session had to be cut short due to a mechanical problem. But Saturday was a different story for Max Verstappen. Having set a good pace in the third free practice session, the Dutchman set the fastest lap. And the Red Bull driver seemed to continue his good form during qualifying.
Indeed, Max Verstappen set the fastest laps in both Q1 and Q2. Nevertheless, the reigning world champion was unable to take pole position in qualifying. Max Verstappen was slowed down by the yellow flag after Charles Leclerc’s spin, and Carlos Sainz Jr was able to overtake him in the race for pole position.
The Dutchman will therefore start from second place this Sunday for the British Grand Prix. After this rather good result, the 24 year old driver was positive, especially concerning the performance of his car.
“Yes, qualifying was quite tricky with the rain and then the wet/dry conditions, so you have to be on track at the right time. But I think overall the car was working very well. In Q3 it’s always a bit of a lottery sometimes when you have to set the fastest lap, but I was a bit hampered on my last lap by the yellow flag unfortunately,” said Max Verstappen in comments published in Motorsport.com.
The Red Bull driver then spoke about the strategy he will adopt on Sunday to beat Sainz in pole, the Dutchman appears surprisingly measured with his game plan:
“I think being on the front row is very good for us and we have a good race car in the dry and in the wet. My plan for Sunday? Well, it’s not just about the first lap. It’s about the race. As I said, I think we have a good car for the race. It also depends on the tyre management. So yes, I’m looking forward to tomorrow,” he revealed.
It remains to be seen whether Max Verstappen will be able to take another victory at Silverstone, after the one he won in 2020, and take a further step forward in the overall Formula 1 standings. For the moment, the Dutchman has a 46-point lead over his team-mate and runner-up Sergio Pérez, and a 49-point lead over Charles Leclerc.
