Max Verstappen ignited the hopes of his home crowd at the Dutch Grand Prix, securing a hard-fought P3 in qualifying after a critical last-minute adjustment to his Red Bull car.
The reigning world champion credited the team’s final setup change for unlocking a more competitive performance, transforming a challenging weekend into a promising starting position for Sunday’s race.
Red Bull’s weekend at Zandvoort had been far from smooth, with Verstappen struggling with the car’s performance during practice sessions.
However, a dramatic improvement in qualifying saw the Dutchman split the dominant McLaren duo of Lando Norris and pole-sitter Oscar Piastri, finishing just over two-tenths off pole.
Reflecting on the result, Verstappen called it a “great achievement” given the team’s earlier struggles.
“The gap was still big throughout qualifying but I just wanted to be P3 to be honest because the whole weekend has been difficult but then in qualifying, it came together a bit more and that was very positive,” Verstappen said.
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“I think the final change we made to the car definitely brought it in a nicer operating window and I could push a bit more so for us, to be P3, is a great achievement.
“They’re [McLaren] dominant everywhere. It’s been good for us. A good turnaround throughout the weekend.”
Verstappen’s P3 marked a significant improvement after a disappointing P9 finish at the Hungaroring, where he trailed winner Lando Norris by more than 70 seconds.
Focus turns to podium prospects
Despite the boost from qualifying, Verstappen remains realistic about his chances against the dominant McLarens in race trim.
“Hopefully a podium – that’s realistic I hope,” he said. “Normally, in the race, it’s been a bit up and down for us. Sometimes good, sometimes bad compared to our quali pace. Hopefully tomorrow it’s going to be a good one.”
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With George Russell’s Mercedes and both Ferraris starting behind, Verstappen expects to be kept busy defending his spot.
“It’s a bit unknown, but I do think that what we have on the car should be more stable,” he explained. “But this season in general, our race pace has not been the best in terms of if you compare it to a qualifying lap.
“But I just hope that at least we can keep the guys behind us literally behind us in the race. What happens in front of me, I have no control over. I’ll just try to do the best I can from my side.”
As the Zandvoort crowd rallies behind their home hero, Verstappen’s late qualifying breakthrough has set the stage for an intriguing battle.
With a refined car setup and a determined mindset, the Dutchman is poised to fight for a podium and keep his championship hopes alive.
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