Vettel remains unfazed after Verstappen matches Red Bull pole record at Silverstone

After a tough weekend in Austria, Max Verstappen hoped for a turnaround in Great Britain. Initially, Silverstone didn’t offer much promise, as the Dutchman struggled on Friday.

But, true to Red Bull’s reputation, the team found their pace and performance improved significantly by Saturday.

On Saturday, during the third free practice session, it became clear that the four-time world champion could keep pace with the front runners.

While a pole position didn’t seem likely after the first two qualifying sessions, Verstappen completely turned things around in the final segment, delivering a stunning lap that secured him the top spot on the grid.

Max Verstappen’s pole position at Silverstone marks the 44th of his career, all achieved with Red Bull Racing.

On Sunday in Silverstone, he will start in front of McLaren's Oscar Piastri. Brit Lando Norris starts the race from third.

This milestone puts him level with Sebastian Vettel, who also secured 44 poles while driving for the Austrian team. Vettel’s overall career total, however, stands at 57 pole positions.

To mark this milestone, Red Bull Racing shared a celebratory graphic on Instagram. Christian Horner, the team principal, expressed his pride by reposting the message. Sebastian Vettel appeared unfazed by being matched, also sharing Horner’s post in a show of sportsmanship.

The German has expressed interest in succeeding Helmut Marko when the 82-year-old advisor eventually retires.

Although there’s no immediate retirement planned for Marko, Vettel remains eager to take over the role. Marko himself doesn’t feel threatened by Vettel’s ambitions and has even named him as the ideal successor.