Verstappen’s bold plan to upset McLaren: ‘Time to shine in Turn 1!’

Max Verstappen believes his third-place grid spot for Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix is a realistic reflection of Red Bull’s current position in the pecking order, after being outpaced by both McLaren drivers in a closely fought qualifying session in Barcelona.

The four-time world champion posted a 1m11.813s lap in Q3 – exactly the same time as Mercedes’ George Russell – but secured third on the grid by virtue of setting his lap before the Briton.

Though Verstappen was three-tenths adrift of pole-sitter Oscar Piastri and behind Lando Norris as well, he praised Red Bull’s execution under pressure.

“We were lacking all weekend compared to them, but I think we executed [qualifying] well,” commented the Dutchman. “Third position is more or less where we should be, even though I think it's quite close behind as well.

“It's fun around here, squeezing everything out of the car, the grip is always quite good, even with the hot temperatures. Let's see tomorrow what we can do from there.”

Eyes on the Long Game in Sunday’s Grand Prix

Verstappen and Red Bull looked more competitive during the long runs on Friday and therefore still appear to be in contention over race distance.

The Dutchman said only minimal overnight changes were made to the RB21 but conceded it wasn’t quite enough to overturn McLaren’s one-lap edge.

“We had quite a decent Friday. We just made some final changes to the car,” he explained. “Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to really challenge for the pole.”

While Verstappen is clearly aware of the challenge posed by the McLaren duo, he hasn’t ruled out an aggressive approach from lights out.

Recalling his audacious move on Piastri at the start of the Imola Grand Prix, the Red Bull driver joked about repeating the stunt.

“I think it's time to shine in Turn 1, yeah. Make it three wide for the pictures, why not?”

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Still, Verstappen tempered expectations for an early ambush.

“I don't know, honestly, I think looking at [the] pace, it will be tough,” he admitted. “Like I think Oscar said, it's not all about the start in Turn 1.

“You need to be good on tyres. It's a long race. A lot can happen. So I'll just try to maximise what I got.”

Red Bull’s task on Sunday will be daunting, but Verstappen has made it clear he’s still playing the long game – and isn’t afraid to try something bold when the lights go out.

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