06/09/2025 17:23
Max Verstappen has urged Red Bull to be cautious heading into the
Italian Grand Prix, despite setting the fastest ever lap to steal
pole position. Verstappen found himself on provisional pole at
Monza after the first Q3 runs, with a 1:18.923 to find himself just
0.036s short of the record of 1:18.887 set by Lewis Hamilton in
2020. On the second run, Lando Norris initially beat the record
with a 1:18.869, before Verstappen roared across the line with a
1:18.792. That is an average lap-time of 264.7 kph (164.47 mph),
beating Hamilton's record of 264.363 kph (164.268 mph). Reflecting
on his 45th Red Bull pole to pass the team benchmark of Sebastian
Vettel, Verstappen signalled the team's race pace weakness could
come back to haunt it. "I try, but around here with the low
downforce, it is always very difficult to nail the lap," Verstappen
explained, if the lap was part of the 'Verstappen magic', as
described by interviewer Nico Rosberg. "Under braking, it is easy
to make mistakes, but Q3 felt good, and of course, to be on pole
here for us is fantastic. The car has been a lot better this
weekend. "It was tight, we were still lacking a tiny amount and
made some final changes which allowed me to push a bit more, and
that is exactly what you need in qualifying. "It is a great moment,
but historically, the race has always been a bit more complicated
for us, but we are going to give it everything we have; that is the
only thing we can do, and then we will see what happens."
