Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has revealed that Max
Verstappen made the crucial decision to switch to soft tyres for
his pole position lap, in an Azerbaijan Grand Prix qualifying which
had everyone "mentally on the edge". Strong gusts of wind, light
rain and six red flags featured in a chaotic qualifying at the Baku
City Circuit, which saw most of the drivers in Q3 without a lap
time set heading into the final few minutes. In the end, it was
the four-time world champion who mastered the tricky conditions to
secure pole after taking the decision of what tyres to run into his
own hands. "There were so many interruptions, yellow flags and red
flags," Marko explained to Sky DE . "In the end it was Max who
decided which type of tyre to use. "At the first attempt I think
it could have been done with medium tyres as well, but at the end
it was the right choice to give everything on soft tyres, even
though according to our calculations those tyres were not faster."
The 27-year-old navigated a qualifying session filled with multiple
interruptions to claim pole, earning high praise from Marko for
both his driving skills and smart decision-making. Marko was
particularly impressed by Verstappen's mental strength throughout
the chaotic session, which took 118 minutes to complete – 45
minutes longer than the Italian GP. "Through all those breaks,
raindrops, no raindrops… this was mentally on the edge," Marko
observed. "We already saw during Friday's practice sessions that
we can compete at the front, and we built it up gradually. Our tyre
strategy for the race is a bit mixed up now, though, because we had
to use more tyres than planned." Despite Red Bull's tyre plan for
the race now being up in the air, Marko is confident Verstappen can
convert pole into back-to-back victories. "I still think we have a
good chance," added Marko. "From the start to the first corner it
is relatively short, so I think there is no danger of being
overtaken in the slipstream. "So I'm completely satisfied. And
above all, we have four cars in the top ten."
Verstappen made the crucial decision to switch to soft tyres for
his pole position lap, in an Azerbaijan Grand Prix qualifying which
had everyone "mentally on the edge". Strong gusts of wind, light
rain and six red flags featured in a chaotic qualifying at the Baku
City Circuit, which saw most of the drivers in Q3 without a lap
time set heading into the final few minutes. In the end, it was
the four-time world champion who mastered the tricky conditions to
secure pole after taking the decision of what tyres to run into his
own hands. "There were so many interruptions, yellow flags and red
flags," Marko explained to Sky DE . "In the end it was Max who
decided which type of tyre to use. "At the first attempt I think
it could have been done with medium tyres as well, but at the end
it was the right choice to give everything on soft tyres, even
though according to our calculations those tyres were not faster."
The 27-year-old navigated a qualifying session filled with multiple
interruptions to claim pole, earning high praise from Marko for
both his driving skills and smart decision-making. Marko was
particularly impressed by Verstappen's mental strength throughout
the chaotic session, which took 118 minutes to complete – 45
minutes longer than the Italian GP. "Through all those breaks,
raindrops, no raindrops… this was mentally on the edge," Marko
observed. "We already saw during Friday's practice sessions that
we can compete at the front, and we built it up gradually. Our tyre
strategy for the race is a bit mixed up now, though, because we had
to use more tyres than planned." Despite Red Bull's tyre plan for
the race now being up in the air, Marko is confident Verstappen can
convert pole into back-to-back victories. "I still think we have a
good chance," added Marko. "From the start to the first corner it
is relatively short, so I think there is no danger of being
overtaken in the slipstream. "So I'm completely satisfied. And
above all, we have four cars in the top ten."
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