Max Verstappen, the Red Bull driver is in utter shock to finish third in the final qualifying session of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
Red Bull secured second and third place on the starting lineup for the Sunday race in Imola, while Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton got the pole position. Meanwhile, the new Red Bull addition Sergio Perez was a little disappointed at not attaining the pole.
Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing got second place on the grid behind Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and the new Red Bull driver Sergio Perez at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix on Sunday, April 18, 2021. (Photo by the Official Twitter Page of Formula 1)
However, Verstappen, the lead driver for the Austrian constructor got a P3. Further, for the first time, a teammate outclassed the Dutch on the merits of driving since 2018. Max said it was not his best performance and claimed to do better on the race day.
Verstappen further reported on his Q3 results, “Not so good in Q3 – a bit messy, not a good lap. Still, P3 is a good starting position. “It’s gonna be interesting [in Sunday’s race]. We’ll try to make it difficult for [Mercedes]”
MAX: “Not so good in Q3 – a bit messy, not a good lap. Still, P3 is a good starting position.
"It’s gonna be interesting [in Sunday’s race]. We’ll try to make it difficult for [Mercedes]”#ImolaGP 🇮🇹 #F1 pic.twitter.com/7qIqUhomCb
— Formula 1 (@F1) April 17, 2021
Expectations from Max Verstappen in the Imola race
The Red Bull prodigy is one of the most promising young talents in Formula One and already recognized as one of the best drivers in the world. There are no doubts the Dutch driver has been phenomenal in 2021 so far, dominating the pre-season testing and the season opener at Shakir.
Max Verstappen of the Red Bull finished P2 at the Bahrain Grand Prix. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
Verstappen finished second in the nail-biting season opener next to Lewis Hamilton. He even performed well in the Saturday and Friday practice sessions. However, he was behind Mercedes drivers in most of the appearances at Imola. But his teammate finishing ahead of him after a long time stung him the most.
The Italian circuit has given quite a hard time to every driver during the Friday and Saturday event. Even Max went wider at turns many times, and it cost him a defeat to his new teammate and Hamilton.
Make way for your top three 😎#ImolaGP 🇮🇹 #F1 pic.twitter.com/vhqgfFfAMI
— Formula 1 (@F1) April 17, 2021
Max Verstappen will go behind the RB16B at the Autodrome Enzo e Dino Ferrari on Sunday, April 18. Many F1 pundits claim the Dutch and Hamilton will have a recap of Bahrain in Imola. However, the seven-time world champion isn’t the only hurdle for Max to cross, but Sergio Perez will also be a constant threat to Verstappen.
