Verstappen details dramatic turnaround that solved RB21’s balance

Max Verstappen credited a critical overnight setup change for transforming his Red Bull RB21 from an understeering liability to a pole-position contender at the British Grand Prix.

The four-time world champion, who had struggled in Friday’s practice sessions, delivered a flawless final lap in Saturday’s ultra-competitive qualifying to claim his fourth pole of the 2025 season, edging out McLaren’s Oscar Piastri by a mere 0.103 seconds.

Friday’s practice had been a challenging affair for Verstappen, with his car plagued by severe understeer that left Red Bull trailing the pace-setting McLarens.

However, a switch to a lower downforce rear wing and meticulous adjustments by the team overnight restored the RB21’s balance, allowing Verstappen to unlock its full potential.

The result was a stunning Q3 lap that saw him pip Piastri by 0.103s, with Lando Norris in third and Mercedes’ George Hamilton 0.137s adrift in fourth, a spread that underscored the razor-tight margins at Silverstone.

Overnight Turnaround Unlocks Speed

Verstappen explained the dramatic overnight improvement achieved by Red Bull’s engineers.

“We looked a bit slow yesterday on the other wing, plus I was just understeering to the moon, so I had to try and reduce that understeer, and it seemed to work.

“It was very difficult to balance and today we definitely improved the understeer and that just allowed me to push a bit more because.

“I think it just caught us out yesterday, which we didn’t expect to happen, so then you need to work around with the tools that you have and luckily we went into the right direction with it.”

The performance boost was a testament to Red Bull’s engineering prowess, with the team working tirelessly to address the car’s issues. Team principal Christian Horner lauded the effort.

“The engineering team has done a great job overnight, they’ve worked hard on the car,” he said.

“We’ve added a bit of performance to the car, and we’ve balanced it. It’s tricky conditions with the gusting weather around here, but all credit to Milton Keynes. Max has delivered as he always does, so good performance.”

Marko Always Confidant of Claiming Pole

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko, meanwhile, dismissed comparisons to Verstappen’s surprise pole at Suzuka, emphasizing the team’s confidence heading into qualifying.

“No, actually we were expecting to be on the front row,” Marko told ServusTV. “We saw on Friday that if we could get rid of the understeer, we’d be right up there.

“Step by step, the balance improved. We made a small adjustment after the first run in Q3, and then, of course, came the Max factor — an incredible lap, flawless once again.”

Verstappen’s stunning pole lap showcased once again his ability to capitalize on the team’s adjustments under pressure.

With the top six drivers separated by less than a quarter of a second, Sunday’s British Grand Prix promises a thrilling battle.

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