F1 News: Max Verstappen delighted with Red Bull after superb Spanish Grand Prix qualifying

Max Verstappen, Laurent Mekies, generic, Red Bull, 2026 — Photo: © IMAGO

Spanish Grand Prix

Max Verstappen delighted with Red Bull after superb Spanish Grand Prix qualifying

Max lines up on P3 and in contention for win

By Remy Ramjiawan.

Saturday 12 September 2026 17:50

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Max Verstappen was very pleased with his third-place finish in qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid.

The Dutch driver put in a solid performance throughout the session, although he now faces Lando Norris starting from pole and championship leader Kimi Antonelli waiting in line behind him on race day.

In Q1, Verstappen smartly preserved a set of red tires by opting for the yellow compounds, and that decision paid off as his lap time proved more than sufficient.

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The Red Bull star continued his strong form in Q2 by setting the fastest time, and during the top-ten qualifying he improved from a fifth-best time in his first run to a third-best time in his second.

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Verstappen satisfied

After the session, Verstappen had nothing but positive remarks. "I think it was a very good qualifying session for us. To be to be third, I think is a great result," he said.

He also praised his team: "We made the car feel quite quite decent in in qualifying, and I could attack corners the way I liked. So yeah, for usI think this qualifying is a is a very good result."