Max Verstappen’s Scintillating Performance at the 2025 Saudi GP

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen delivered a stunning pole position at the 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, silencing critics who claimed that Red Bull was imploding.

Christian Horner’s Verdict on Verstappen’s Remarkable Lap

Speaking about Verstappen’s sensational lap, Red Bull boss Christian Horner expressed his awe, stating, “I didn’t think it was possible going into that session.” He continued, “It just shows, you never give up. We’ve got a great team, you keep fighting. You keep chasing the performance and then Max, he’ll go and deliver you that last ounce of performance.”

Explaining their strategy, Horner revealed that they gambled on doing two timed laps following Lando Norris’ crash in Q3. He added, “Coming into that qualy off the back of P3, it was all about who was going to be third. And suddenly, Q1, Max went quickest, and you think, ‘hang on, are McLaren sandbagging here?’

Horner further explained, “And then Q2, we were right there again. Then the unfortunate accident for Lando in Q3, there were only four cars with two new sets [of soft tyres], which were the two McLarens, George Russell and Max.“Thankfully, Lando was ok, but it left it right on the cusp of doing two times, for which there was 25 seconds of margin, or do you just hang in there and do one?

They chose to do the two times, putting pressure on themselves due to the extra fuel carried. Horner praised Verstappen’s performance, stating, “What was super impressive for me was that, because you [don’t] take the pit stop, you’ve got to carry the fuel.“So, he had six or seven kilograms more fuel on that first lap, which he went quickest on, that put the pressure on the other guys.

Horner concluded, “And then again, his last lap was outstanding. To get that pole, our second in the last three races, is really rewarding. A phenomenal performance by Max and the team, and good to have Yuki Tsunoda up there in Q3 as well.

The Challenge Ahead for Verstappen

Horner acknowledged that Oscar Piastri’s race pace in the McLaren, with the Aussie starting in second place on the grid, will make it tricky for Verstappen to defend. He added, “If you can convert the pole, you’ve got that benefit of running in the clean air and not being in the turbulence following a car.

However, he warned, “But what we’ve seen this weekend, the McLaren is very, very quick, particularly in race trim. So, I think we’re going to have a hell of a fight on our hands to try to keep Oscar behind us. But we’re starting in the best possible position, so great to be going into it on pole.”