Verstappen reveals key factor behind staggering pole position in Abu Dhabi

Speaking after claiming pole position, the Dutch driver credited track timing and key tyre strategy as crucial to his success at the Yas Marina Circuit.

“In Q2, I stayed on the scrubbed tyres, and I think those laps already felt quite decent. In Q3 around here, you know, track time is limited, so you can push a bit more, and that's exactly what we did,” he began.

The four-time world champion also emphasised how the team focused on maximising performance throughout the session.

“We found a bit more lap time, and I was incredibly happy to be in first. That's the only thing we can do, right? That's the only thing we can control, try to maximise everything we have with the car, and we definitely did that in qualifying,” he added.

Verstappen also noted how Red Bull anticipated potential track changes and carefully timed his runs to suit dropping temperatures, while making adjustments to improve his confidence in the car.

“You have to try and guess a little bit how much the track is going to improve. It cools down a lot, and you're never 100% sure if it's going to work. But I do think that what we changed definitely helped me feel a little better and more confident,” Verstappen concluded.

Verstappen claimed pole position with a staggering lap time of 1:22.207. The first-place start marked his eighth pole position of 2025. The Red Bull Racing driver ends the campaign with the most pole positions of the 2025 season.

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