Max on pole for the French Grand Prix: 'A great day'

Published on 19 June 2021 by Mike Motilall

Max Verstappen took the pole home for the French Grand Prix. On the circuit Paul Ricard the Red Bull Racing-driver has had an overall good weekend and with a 1:29.990 he was eventually well over two tenths faster than Lewis Hamilton in second place during qualifying. This pole means this is Max’ fifth Formula 1-career pole position. Valtteri Bottas finished third fastest while Sergio Perez crossed the line in fourth.

After qualifying a very content Max had the following to say: “To get pole position was really nice. So far it’s been a really positive weekend on a track where it’s normally been a bit difficult for us. It’s a great promise from our side. I think yesterday FP2 was a turn around. We took a good step forward then and just made it even better today.”

Regarding the question on keeping the championship alive, Verstappen answers: “Of course there are no points scored today but for us it’s a great day. We have to finish it off tomorrow and try and get 25 points that we lost in Baku. I expect Mercedes to be strong in the race, but the car felt good yesterday in FP2, so I am looking forward to the race tomorrow.”

With an ambient temperature of 29 degrees C. qualifying gets underway for the French Grand Prix, two hours after Max came in first at the third free practice with a lead of well over seven tenths. Just as Max was heading out for his first run in Q1, Yuki Tsunoda spins in his AlphaTauri and rear ends the tyre wall at Turn two. Because of the damage, the Japanese rookie is unable to continue on and is forced to start the race tomorrow from the back.

After a red flag situation that lasts about ten minutes, the lights turn back green again and all the drivers head back out on track. Max does a 1:31.001 on his first flying lap on the softs, at that moment in time by far the fastest time. Team mate Sergio Perez is second, well over half a second down on Verstappen, while Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes are third and fourth. Hamilton gives it another go and does another flying lap as he moves up to second fastest. Verstappen decides to stay in and because nobody is able to beat the Dutchman’s time, he finishes Q1 at the top. Just before the flag drops, Mick Schumacher rear ends the guard rails at Turn six with his Haas. The red flag is brought out once more and the first part of qualifying is halted. Those that fail to make it to Q2 are: Nicholas Latifi (P16), Kimi Raikkonen (P17) and Nikita Mazepin (P18). Lance Stroll is unable to set a time because of the red flag and ends up nineteenth, while Tsunoda finishes last because of his crash.

Schumacher finished fourteenth in Q1and would have been able to partake in Q2 for the first time in his budding Formula1-career. But because of his crash he is forced to leave the battlefield and ends up just fifteenth. The remaining drivers head out for their first run in Q2 on the medium compound tyres, with the exception of George Russell who heads out on a set of the softs. Verstappen clocks a 1:31.080 on his first lap in Q2, putting him second, just behind of team mate Perez. While Verstappen has returned to the Red Bull Racing-garage, Hamilton snatches P1. Max ventures out again for a second run but is unable to better his time. With a fourth fastest time he progresses to Q3. Drivers sent to the showers in this part of qualifying are: home boy Esteban Ocon (P11), Sebastian Vettel (P12), Antonio Giovinazzi (P13), George Russell (P14) and Mick Schumacher, who is fifteenth.

At the start of Q3, all the drivers head out on track as usual on the soft compound tyres. Max tops the board immediately on his first flying lap with a 1:30.325, almost four tenths faster than second placed Hamilton. Sergio Perez is at that moment third fastest. On his second run, Max shaves off well over three tenths of his time and with a 1:29.990 the Dutchman snatches pole. This is Verstappen’s second pole this season. Hamilton comes in second, 0.258 second down on Max, while Mercedes team mate Bottas finished third. Perez will be alongside the Finn tomorrow on the second row. Sainz came in fifth with next to him local boy Pierre Gasly in P6. Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris, Fernando Alonso and Daniel Ricciardo round out the top ten.

The French Grand Prix will start tomorrow 15.00 hrs. local Dutch time.

Contest GP France: win a Red Bull Racing backpack

Results qualifying France: