Verstappen's manager points out the one crucial element he missed in Abu Dhabi

Max Verstappen beat the McLaren duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri to claim pole position at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. While his manager praised the performance as outstanding, he noted that a key element was still missing for his driver.

“This was a team effort. A textbook qualifying. In the decisive moment, Max knows how to piece it all together very well himself, and in the final lap of Q3 he did it without a tow,” Vermeulen told Formule1.nl. “We’re only missing the Mercedes up front.”

For the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Vermeulen certainly still sees opportunities for Verstappen. “We can’t do more than what we’re doing now. But if this is the result, we won’t make it. However, Norris will be more conservative than Oscar and Max, who both have nothing to lose. And sly Alonso is still nearby in P6, so we’ll see.”

Verstappen beat Norris and Piastri during qualifying for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The Dutchman put his Red Bull dominantly on pole position with a lap time over two-tenths ahead of the McLaren duo. Mercedes driver, George Russell, however, finished in fourth place, with teammate Kimi Antonelli failing to advance past Q2.

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