Max strikes back with double pole position
Published on 03 May 2014 by Stefan Meens
After a disappointing first race in which a collision forced him to retire, Max Verstappen retaliated in style with an excellent qualifying session. The talented Dutchman put in several blistering laps granting him P2 for both race 2 and 3. However, fastest man Tom Bloqvist changed his engine on Saturday morning. Therefore, Max inherits the prime spot on the grid for the two remaining races of the FIA Formula 3 European Championship round at Hockenheim.
“I'm of course very happy with my first Euro F3 pole position! Especially considering I haven’t had as much track time as most of my competitors. The track conditions changed and there was more grip but I only had a limited amount of time to get to grips with these new conditions”, reveals a delighted Max.
The interval between race 1 and the second qualifying session is used by Van Amersfoort Racing to repair Max' Dallara F312. The Volkswagen powered car suffered a damaged left front suspension but the mechanics, including Max, are able to get the car fixed on time.
As qualifying gets under way under a cloudy sky, a fierce battle on track unfolds as the times at the front are very competitive. Max is pushing hard, sometimes too hard as one of his flying laps is invalidated due to the Dutchman crossing the white line.
However, Max is consistently fast throughout the qualifying session and he holds the fastest time for several minutes. In the end, Tom Blomqvist is the only driver who beats Verstappen junior but the Englishman's grid penalty gifts Max his first two pole positions.
Max: “My fastest time was a good lap. However, I was unfortunately held up in an even quicker lap. This meant I had to back off to create better track position but it also meant I lost my tyres' optimum operating window. But that's all part of the qualifying game. Regardless, these two poles are a great boost for the team and they make up for my collision this morning.”
Max will share to front row with Esteban Ocon. The Dutchman's Van Amersfoort Racing team mates Gustavo Menezes and Jules Szymkowiak put in similar lap times to each other. The American starts from P15 and P16 ahead of the Dutchman who took P16 and P17.
Ahead of the two races on Sunday, Max and the team are planning their race strategy: “We'll decide what set-up we are going to use. As it's easy to slipstream on the long straight, we might opt for less wing to gain top speed. Regardless, I'm going to approach the race the same way I always do. Hopefully without crashing”, concludes a smiling Max.
The full schedule for the FIA Formula 3 European Championship round at Hockenheim can be found here.
To follow Max at Hockenheim you can make use of the official Euro F3 live timing and stream:
Live timing is available at: http://livetiming.de/timing/FIA
Live stream (races only) available at: http://www.fiaf3europe.com/livestream.html
Furthermore, via Twitter and Facebook we will keep you updated throughout the weekend followed by a full report on Verstappen.nl at the end of the day’s action. For exclusive pictures of Max, check out our Hockenheim photo album.
FIA Formula 3 European Championship – Round 2, Hockenheim – Day 2, Saturday May 3:
Results qualifying 2 (start grid race 2)
Results qualifying 3 (start grid race 3)
