Max Verstappen believes that his capability to thrive when the intensity is at its peak was instrumental in securing pole position for the decisive Formula 1 race at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The Red Bull competitor outpaced Lando Norris, who came in second, by a margin of two-tenths at the Yas Marina Circuit, while Oscar Piastri, another contender for the title, is set to begin the 2025 season-ending race from third position.
The world championship will be awarded to one of those three racers this coming Sunday, with Norris currently holding a favorable position, leading Verstappen by a margin of 12 points and Piastri, his McLaren teammate, by 16 points.
The fact that the four-time world champion is still in contention is commendable, especially considering the McLaren duo’s earlier dominance. However, Verstappen’s five victories in the last eight races have extended the competition to the final day.
Furthermore, this marks the first occasion since 2021 that the championship’s outcome will be determined at the Abu Dhabi finale. In that year, Verstappen clinched his first championship by defeating rival Lewis Hamilton from the pole position, albeit under controversial circumstances.
When questioned about his 2025 pole lap, the Dutch driver drew parallels to the situation four years prior, stating: “It was a genuinely positive experience, although there was significant strain involved in striving to achieve our maximum potential.”
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Photo by: Sam Bloxham / LAT Images via Getty Images
“The atmosphere resembled the 2021 qualifying session, in which I also had a strong showing. Personally, I thrive in situations like these. Under immense stress, when peak performance is essential, I tend to excel because I find pleasure in that particular element.
“Overall, it was a fulfilling experience. The objective is consistently to achieve the most exceptional qualifying lap conceivable. The results fluctuate. This instance yielded favorable outcomes. The result was definitely acceptable.”
There are parallels to the year 2021, specifically the surprise nature of his pole position, in light of Hamilton’s dominance in the three preceding grand prix. Comparatively, although Verstappen was victorious in the Qatar race prior, he communicated a sense of being at a disadvantage after the Abu Dhabi practice rounds when Norris outperformed in both.
The Red Bull driver stated there was need for his team to be “faster,” with Helmut Marko, the team’s motorsport advisor, also acknowledging being behind Norris in position. However, vehicle enhancements implemented overnight contributed to Verstappen’s turnaround. In Q3, despite it being the initial session in which he excelled, he registered two lap durations that were proficient enough to merit pole position.
The second time, a duration of 1m22.207s, ultimately completed the assignment, outpacing his previous effort by 0.088s, in spite of the assistance he received from his colleague Yuki Tsunoda.
The 70-time grand prix victor mentioned, “Overall, the qualification felt more harmonious compared to prior rounds in which a shortage was evident. The subsequent modifications that occurred during the night seemed to render some assistance and refinement throughout qualifying.
Lando Norris, McLaren, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Photo by: Bryn Lennon / Formula 1 via Getty Images
“In Q2, while using worn tyres, the first round [of Q3] was startling with the effect from the new set of tyres. But then, the lap was acceptable, with assistance from Yuki’s maneuver.
“His abandonment of one of his runs was gracious. With the absence of the pull from the second lap, an augmentation of the lap was questionable. However, more lap duration was identified in the corners, therefore, the one-lap qualification was satisfactory. There remains uncertainty of retention during the race.”
Historical performance favours Verstappen’s capabilities, with the driver from pole position winning each Abu Dhabi GP since 2015, and he must preserve this trend to sustain hopes of a title win. If this eventuates, Norris must place below the podium for Verstappen to claim a fifth title, making him conscious of needing “help or fortune to secure the championship.”
Therefore, his method for Sunday is easy. On the subject of his race strategy, the 28-year-old specified: “Aggression is required. I have nothing at stake. The objective is to prevail in the race and defend. An offense will occur in a situation where I am in a need to attack, due to the potential to come second or third – or to be victorious. The final outcome would be perfect.”
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– The Autosport.com Team
