The Dutch driver has picked up right where he left off last year, dominating the start of the 2024 season. Alongside his team, Red Bull, Verstappen’s RB20 has easily won the first two rounds of the competition.
Verstappen has now achieved a hat-trick of pole positions this season, with his impressive time of 1:15.915 during Qualifying at the Albert Park Circuit. Despite teammate Sergio Perez being the third fastest driver in Q3, he will start the Grand Prix in sixth place due to a three-place grid penalty for impeding another driver.
Verstappen’s lead over Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr. was nearly three tenths. Surprisingly, the 26-year-old expressed his astonishment at being at the top of the timing screens for the 35th time in his F1 career.
When asked if he expected to be on pole position, Verstappen responded with a resounding “No, definitely not.” He explained that he struggled with the balance of the car throughout the weekend, experiencing too much understeer, which is not ideal for this circuit. However, he managed to overcome these challenges and deliver two strong laps in Q3.
Verstappen acknowledged that Ferrari looked very strong and had no issues with tire management. In contrast, finding the right balance has been difficult for him and his team. The defending Champion admitted that it remains uncertain how they will perform on the tires during the race.
Teammate Perez, despite being four-tenths slower than Verstappen, remains optimistic about his chances of moving up the field from his sixth-place grid slot. He believes the car felt good and they made progress during Qualifying. Perez shares Verstappen’s concerns about tire degradation and acknowledges the challenge of beating Ferrari.
Will Verstappen maintain his lead, and can Perez secure another second-place finish in 2024? Don’t miss the Australian Grand Prix, starting at 04:00 GMT (15:00 local time) on Sunday, March 24th.