Verstappen Highlights 'Exciting' Question Mark After 'Unexpected' Qualifying Result

Saturday, 23 March 2024 at 13:15

Max Verstappen evaluated how the qualifying session at Albert Park Circuit went for him following his third consecutive pole position this year.

The triple World Champion admitted ahead of the 2024 Australian Grand Prix that he's had the best start to the season in his career this year.

He scored two pole positions, two wins, and one fastest lap in the first two races. By securing the pole in Melbourne, he put himself in his prime to extend his streak of consecutive races to 10, which would equal his record from the previous season.

It might seem everything is going smoothly for the 26-year-old, but the qualifying session wasn't at all as straightforward as it might seem.

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Ferrari drivers seemed to have an edge on Red Bull during the first two parts of qualifying. It was only in Q3 that Verstappen put in two incredible laps in a row that no one managed to beat. He told the media after the session:

"Yeah, it was a bit unexpected, I think, today in qualifying, but I'm very happy with Q3. I think both of those laps felt really, really nice and that was very enjoyable. It was bit of a tricky weekend so far but we managed to get there in the end, so I'm very happy with that."

The race pace simulations run during the Free Practice sessions suggested that Ferrari might be even stronger during the race than Red Bull.

On the one hand, these data are to be taken with a grain of salt. On the other hand, the team from Maranello might pose a bigger threat to Red Bull in Australia than during the two previous races. When Verstappen was asked about the danger from Scuderia, he said:

"They seem very quick also in the long runs, so a bit of a question mark for tomorrow, but I guess that makes it very exciting, so we'll find out tomorrow."