Max Verstappen admits 'lucky' escape after Red Bull F1 qualifying calamity

Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen admits 'lucky' escape after Red Bull qualifying calamity

Max Verstappen avoided disaster to take pole

Originally written by Brian Van Hinthum. This version is a translation.

Sunday 19 October 2025 01:57

Max Verstappen piled more pressure on McLaren on Saturday night after a dominating display at the United States Grand Prix.

The Red Bull driver dominated qualifying with ease, securing pole position for Sunday's US Grand Prix. Needless to say, he's extremely pleased with his performance.

This weekend promises to be a dream come true for Verstappen. The four-time champion is in superb form here in Austin, and the Red Bull machine is firing on all cylinders.

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He was the fastest in sprint qualifying, won the sprint race effortlessly - to close the championship gap -, and demonstrated his top form in the main qualifying session—claiming pole position without even needing a second flying lap.

No second run necessary

After the session, Verstappen reflected on his performance: "The car was incredibly strong. Sometimes it’s a bit challenging to string together a perfect lap—it’s warm and very windy here. My first run in Q3 went well, and I managed to improve on my Q2 time.

"Unfortunately, I couldn’t take a second run due to some hiccups with the out-laps. Luckily, I didn’t need it. Another fantastic result for us."

He also explained the difference between Friday and Saturday: "The wind is a real challenge. Today was much tougher than yesterday. With the reduced downforce and the car moving around more, it’s harder to push hard in sector one as usual."

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F1 Red Bull Max Verstappen