Max Verstappen takes pole position for F1 Monaco GP after betting everything in final sector

Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing) won the pole position in qualifying for the F1 Monaco GP. “I bet everything”, he said at the end of the lap because he knew heading into the final sector that he was behind Fernando Alonso’s (Aston Martin) lap time. Verstappen touched the barrier in the swimming pool section and touched it again on the exit of Anthony Noguez, clinching pole position by closing 0.28s over Alonso in sector 3 alone, ending with a close lead of 0.084s. .

Verstappen was consistently fast in Q1 and Q2, but in Q3, drivers who ran faster than him appeared one after another, and he was forced to exert his last strength. “I struggled a bit on the first lap, just warming up the tires and getting all the sectors together,” said Verstappen. “But because they improved, I knew what I had to do on the last lap and when I entered the last sector I knew they were behind me, so I pushed as hard as I could in the last sector. I had to put everything on the line to get back some lap time. “I was always fast in the last sector, but I pushed harder on the last lap.” Max Verstappen “I knew Alonso was behind me going into the last sector.” Tire preparation did not proceed as expected, and it was a somewhat dangerous development. “Unfortunately there were some cars in front of me and I had to drive a little slower than I expected. I think I probably gave up and started again,” explained Verstappen. bottom. “It wasn’t the ideal lap start. Maybe that’s why sector 1 was a little bit down and then gradually up. Confidence is also important here,” he said. “The tires were perfectly ready. Things that don’t feel right, you can’t hit the brakes hard in Turn 1, everything compromises a little bit, so there’s a lot going into it to get the perfect lap here.” Several drivers did their final laps early in the session to avoid the risk of red or yellow flags, but Verstappen got the chance to run at the last minute. “Because I thought it was the best chance to get pole position,” explained Verstappen. “Every car responds a little differently to how the tires warm up over the course of a lap and for us it was the right choice.” It will be the first pole position at the F1 Monaco GP for. “It’s a good result and I’m happy to have my first pole here,” said Verstappen, although this lap hasn’t been ranked among his best. “I’m always very busy. I finally had a clean run in Q3 and it was good for everyone to push to the limit. I think qualifying went well overall.”