“I don’t know why it’s different today”: Max Verstappen puzzled by Ferrari’s lack of pace as he grabs pole in sprint qualifying in Austria

Max Verstappen aced the 2023 Austrian GP sprint shootout, taking P1 by quite a margin. Along with taking pole in the sprint shootout, the Dutchman will also start in front of the grid on Sunday.

Verstappen was joined by the two Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz in Friday's qualifying, with the two Scuderia drivers starting hot on his heel for Sunday's race.

This time around, however, the Italian team failed to deliver promising times as the 25-year-old's Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez joined the Dutchman on the front row in P2.

The two-time world champion did extremely well in the partially slippery conditions to put his RB19 at the front of the pack, managing the heavily-stewarded track limits phenomenally well.

Speaking about Ferrari's deficit to his team in the sprint shootout, Max Verstappen told Naomi Schiff in Parc Ferme after the event:

"I don't know why it's a bit different today but also the track is still not fully dry. But the car is quick - that's the most important - and today let's see over a stint how we will perform."

Verstappen has put himself in the best possible position to score the eight additional championship points that are available in the sprint race scheduled later this evening.

Max Verstappen has made F1 more boring than even Michael Schumacher, claims former team owner

Former Jordan team owner Eddie Jordan believes that Verstappen and Red Bull's dominance have made the sport more boring than Michael Schumacher did in the early 2000s. Jordan cites Verstappen's remarkable skill as his main reason, claiming 'he's just that good'.

Red Bull has been the clear class of the field since the 2022 aero changes, with the RB19 having won each of the races so far this year.

Max Verstappen recently gifted his team their 100th race win by storming to the line from pole position in Montreal. Now, the Dutchman has put himself in the best possible position to gift his team a win at their home track in Austria, giving them yet another reason to celebrate.

Eddie Jordan believes that while Verstappen's form is truly worthy of making him one of the greatest drivers in the history of the sport, he is getting bored of the Dutchman's dominance. He told the Formula for Success podcast:

"Max Verstappen will emerge over time to be the greatest driver of all time. I don’t like the last couple of races, I have to tell you. I’m bored to death with him. He’s just that good. He’s making it boring, more so than the Schumacher era.”

It will be interesting to see if Verstappen goes on to become a Schumacher-like figure in the sport over time.