'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Reigning champion Max Verstappen shared his thoughts after securing his first pole in six months at the Japanese Grand Prix. Despite the strong qualifying result, he remained realistic about Red Bull's race pace and made it clear that he wouldn't be giving anyone an easy path to victory.
On Saturday, April 5, Max Verstappen pulled off a surprise pole position, edging out Mclaren's Lando Norris by narrow margin of 0.012 seconds. However, the Dutchman continues to grapple with RB21's balance and handling issues, which contributed to his fourth place finish in the previous race at China.
Reflecting upon the same, Verstappen spoke to Sky Sports and said,
"Even if you have a good start or not, it will be tough for us. So far, the race pace has not been the best for us. We know that. Also me putting it on pole today is not a guarantee we win tomorrow. At the same time, I won't make it easy. I want to try and win. We have to wait and see what the weather will do and I just hope it will be an interesting race."
Trending
The result marks the 27-year-old's first pole position since the 2024 Austrian GP. Meanwhile, his new teammate, Yuki Tsunoda, placed outside the top ten at 15th, further underscoring the RB21's woes.
With the McLaren drivers securing back-to-back wins in the first two rounds, Verstappen faces an uphill task as the Austrian team's sole defence against the papaya duo.
Max Verstappen throws shade at rivals after Japanese GP pole
After beating McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri for pole at Suzuka, Max Verstappen didn't hold back in assessing his rivals' results. He claimed that he stands to make a difference when his competition makes more mistakes than him.
During the final stages of Saturday's qualifying, Norris's claim to pole looked close to materializing before Verstappen turned in a stellar lap, nailing the second sector. Consequently, the reigning champion surged ahead of the Mclaren duo and claimed pole position.
Talking to Telegraph post qualifying, Max Verstappen delivered a take on maximising his opponents' mistakes, stating :
"I'm also dependent on what the others do. But yes, the others do indeed make more mistakes than I do. I'm not surprised by that. If I can be close enough, I know I'll always make the difference. It's just that we're not close enough at the moment. Although it turned out that way today."
Nonetheless, he also acknowledged the challenges ahead with an unstable car.
"We are first, but the problems have not been solved yet. The car is still very difficult to drive. Even when I see the on-board images, I see enough improvement."
The No.1 driver currently sits second in the standings, trailing championship leader Lando Norris by eight points.
