Second on the grid behind Kimi Antonelli, Max Verstappen achieved a qualifying performance beyond expectations in Monaco. But the Red Bull driver remains wary before the start of the race.
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After the first two days of practice in the streets of the Principality, few observers imagined seeing Max Verstappen fight for pole position. The four-time world champion himself did not hide his difficulties with his RB22, especially during the last free practice session.
However, when the times really counted, the Red Bull driver once again demonstrated the full extent of his talent. Lap after lap, he managed to extract the maximum from his car to find himself at the heart of the fight against Kimi Antonelli.
For a few moments, Verstappen even thought he had secured pole position. But in the last seconds of Q3, the young Italian set an exceptional lap to push him back to second place, with only 43 thousandths of a second difference.
Despite this slight disappointment, the Dutchman displayed a wide smile as he got out of the car.
“If someone had told me yesterday that I would be on the front row, I would have signed immediately,” he admitted after the session.
A qualifying performance that exceeds Red Bull’s expectations
Verstappen insisted on the progress made by his team between Friday and Saturday. While the Ferraris seemed largely favorites after practice, Red Bull managed to close the gap at the crucial moment.
“Even this morning, we still had several difficulties with the car. To arrive in qualifying and find ourselves at this level is something very positive.”
The 28-year-old driver also highlighted the particular difficulty of a flying lap in Monaco, where the slightest mistake is immediately punished against the rails.
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“I am very satisfied with how qualifying went. Every lap was intense with traffic, walls, and constant pressure. Being on the front row is an excellent result.”
The start, the main concern before the race
While Verstappen retains a legitimate hope of victory, he knows that the first opportunity to overtake Antonelli could present itself as soon as the lights go out.
But paradoxically, his biggest concern does not concern the Mercedes driver in front of him.
The world champion is mainly looking in his rearview mirrors, where the two Ferraris of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc are located. The Italian cars have often shown excellent starts this season and could represent an immediate threat in the short acceleration towards Sainte-Dévote.
“These cars are quite complicated to get off the line this year,” explained Verstappen. “I have two Ferraris behind me that generally start very well, so we’ll have to watch out for that.”
Even before thinking about attacking Antonelli for the victory, the Red Bull driver will therefore have to defend his second place against the pressure exerted by Hamilton and Leclerc.
One thing is certain: after such a close qualifying session, the first meters of the Monaco Grand Prix could already be decisive for the outcome of the race.