Red Bull's Max Verstappen might have picked up his fifth consecutive pole position in 2023 by claiming top honours in qualifying for the British Grand Prix, but it proved to be a bigger challenge than he had been expecting.
Verstappen was only fifth fastest in Q1 with the track conditions still very damp, but he was quickest in both of the following rounds to ensure he started Sunday's race from the front.
However in both Q2 and Q3, the next two quickest drivers were dressed in McLaren's distinctive papaya livery, with Lando Norris ending up joining him on the front row and Oscar Piastri securing third on the grid.
"We did our laps in Q3 and I was quite surprised to see McLaren there, Verstappen admitted afterward. "But it is great for them to be here.
"It's been quite a crazy qualifying," he continued, referring to the continually evolving conditions which started on a damp track with brief rain in Q1 but largely dried up in time for Q2 and Q3.
"It's been quite hectic and also quite slippery in some places," he acknowledged. "There were a few damp spots, so I had to be a little bit careful, but of course you push the limit because we have a quick car.
"But you don't go to 100 per cent the limit," he admitted, pleased that in this case he hadn't been forced to go to desperate lengths in the end. "We eked out the gap a little bit, but it was still not a very big gap to them.
"But a great day for us and I am looking forward to tomorrow already," he concluded. "From our side, very happy to be on pole position."
There was one unusual mishap for Verstappen when he damaged his front wing on the pit wall when leaving his garage late in Q1. "I had a bit of understeer out of the box, 'too much' rear grip.
"I think I'm scared to drive out of my box now," Verstappen quipped "It has nothing to do with confidence. My engineer asked me what happened, I said I understeered, and so yeah, it happens.
"The last time that I hit a wall properly was here a couple years ago, so these things happen. I've crashed cars before in the pitlane, but not in F1."
"I had to take a new front wing, but that meant of course, that I was in the back to start that final run," he said. "It was quite exciting. I think that outlap with passing a few cars here and there to get the lap in. Luckily it was all good enough, but that shows that it can also very quickly fall the other way and you are out."
It wasn't such a happy scene on the other side of the Red Bull garage, with team mate Sergio Perez once again tumbling out of qualifying early and failing to reach Q2. “I think these conditions is where I struggle most with the car," he admitted.
Perez is hoping that better weather tomorrow will make it possible for him to fight his way back into the points from P16 on the grid, having shown good race pace during Friday's practice sessions.
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