Afterward, Max shared his thoughts with us: “Overall, we have had a decent weekend. Unfortunately, we made a mistake with the setup of the car in qualifying, which meant that the car was sparking a little bit too much for performance. So, we didn’t qualify where we should have qualified. We adjusted the setup for the race and we were a lot more competitive.”

After the qualifying session, Ben Barnicoat shared: “It was a tough session. We felt like we have been missing a little bit of speed. None of us have been super happy, so we tried a couple of things and obviously it just didn't quite work out. We had a lot of bouncing in the straights, so I think we just missed it a little bit.”

Still, the team will do everything it can to fight its way to the front in the three-hour race, which starts Saturday at 6:00 p.m. Central European Summer Time (CEST). Ben continued: “It’s a three-hour race, we are all going to do our best. It is never over until it’s over in these endurance races. We have got a great lineup, a great team. I still believe we can do it tomorrow. Max has been strong and Chris has been strong, so I am sure we will be okay come tomorrow. We just got it a little bit wrong today, but we know what we did, and we know how to make it better. We are going to go to business tomorrow and try to get to the front.”

Like in FP1, Max is the first driver to get behind the wheel of the Mercedes-AMG GT3. After twelve laps and a personal best of 1:43.482, Ben takes over driving duties and adds another dozen or so laps to the lap tally of Team Verstappen Racing.

Ben Barnicoat said afterwards: “It’s been going pretty well. Obviously I have got some really fast teammates, which has been good. They have been doing a great job. Obviously, today is an important day today: we will try to qualify well and have a good race tomorrow.”

Ben is no stranger to racing Max, having competed against the F1 champ in karts. Now he is working with Max “He is so down to earth, so humble, but extremely talented. He has not driven the car since he did the Nürburgring 24 hours, but it doesn’t take him much time to get up to speed with things. That’s the same for Chris, who has had an amazing season, and he’s going pretty well today. So, I’m going to have to up my game, I think, to keep up with those two.”

Max completed a long first stint, with the initial feedback being positive. “Max has been pretty happy with it. We definitely need to make the car a little bit better. So far the consensus has been that we have got quite a fast car, but it’s not the easiest to drive. And obviously, when you are doing an hour stint, if it’s not easy, it catches up with you”, explained Ben.

“The idea behind doing a long run, is just to try and make things a little easier to get us as well prepared as we can be for, for tomorrow’s race. Especially at night, and this morning with it being a bit cooler is probably the most representative of what it’s going be when it gets dark. So we just wanted to get a good feel for where we’re at then.”

In sunny conditions all three drivers of Team Verstappen Racing (Ben Barnicoat, Chris Lulham and Max Verstappen) took to the Portuguese track. Chris was quickest, but more importantly the outfit was able to clock 43 laps without issue. Max gained valuable track time as well clocking his personal best (1:43.6).

The team was able to work through their program including gaining valuable data, working as a team and practicing the driver swaps. All these factors are of importance with all three drivers scheduled to a one hour stint each in Saturday’s three hour race.

Chalerm Yoovidhya and Mark Mateschitz, Red Bull shareholders, said: “The strength of Red Bull has always come from its people and from creating an environment where talented individuals can achieve extraordinary things together. Laurent has played a crucial role in guiding the team through an important period of transition while maintaining the competitive spirit and the Red Bull principles that define us. This extension reflects our confidence in his leadership and our shared belief in the long-term vision of the team. We are ambitious about what lies ahead and we are committed to building on this momentum together.”

At the start, Max did a superb job of keeping Charles Leclerc in his Ferrari behind him. The Monegasque driver applied pressure during the early stages of the race, but once Max had built up a lead, his victory was never in danger. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) also managed to work his way up to an impressive third place.

After clinching the British Formula 4 title, Dries commented: “It is amazing, I am really happy to be champion! It is a special track to do it, I really enjoyed my time out there. I just tried to enjoy it. There wasn’t too much pressure from my side, but obviously I was a bit nervous. I just tried to bring it home to the finish. I knew I did not have to risk too much. It is great to end it like this.”

Dries added: “We all have done a really good job, although at some tracks we struggled a bit more than others, but all in all we have done the best job of everyone. I am really happy with the performance of the team and myself throughout the year.”

“Of course, I’m very happy with pole position, because this was the one I wanted,” Verstappen said afterwards. “It was very close. I think the margins were small throughout all of qualifying.” Max has felt comfortable in the car all weekend, although the Dutchman believes there is always room for improvement. “The car has been pretty strong all weekend. Of course, there are always things that you look into that can be better. But it was enough for pole, so I’m very happy with that.”

The pole position is particularly special for Max. Singapore is a circuit where Red Bull have not always been able to perform at their best in the past. According to the Dutch driver, the change in regulations has played a role. “With the new regulations, our car works a little differently compared to the previous rules, when we were stronger in different areas of a corner,” Max explains. “But we’re happy to take this result. We’re on a positive trend, so it’s for us very special to take pole position here.”

Max was not entirely satisfied despite his Sprint victory. “The start was horrendous again,” Verstappen reflected. “That is definitely something we need to improve. But I saw it coming, because we started in second gear. Hopefully, we learn from it now. If that happens tomorrow and nothing else happens, your race is over.” Russell’s retirement worked in Verstappen’s favour, allowing him to control the race on the streets of Singapore. “Of course, we got a bit lucky with what happened to George,” Verstappen admitted. “After that, you just want to keep the race calm and under control. You know you can’t pass around here, especially in these conditions on intermediate tyres. We tried to bring the car home safely.”

Although Max adds eight points to his tally with the victory, he does not see the Sprint as the main objective of the weekend. The Dutchman is already looking ahead to Sunday’s Grand Prix. “I want to win tomorrow. I don’t see this as a win in the same way as winning a Grand Prix,” he said. “We need to have a good qualifying. It will be close with a lot of cars, so we need to make sure we are the best. Hopefully, it will be a good battle.”

“On the other side of the garage, we were managing an issue, and Isack had his lap time deleted for track limits, which made it a more challenging day. The positive of a Sprint weekend is that there are still plenty of sessions ahead, giving us valuable opportunities to learn and prepare for Qualifying and the race, where the bigger points are on offer."

“It’s very close,” Max says after sprint qualifying. “And the lap itself, you push as hard as you think is possible, close to the wall in some places. It felt like the car was coming alive on the soft tyres. I didn’t expect this, so I’m definitely very to be starting first.”

Max continues: “We’ve been a lot stronger over the last few races, but this track highlights a few weaknesses of the car. We managed to drive with them as well as possible.”

When asked about the heat in the car, Max says: “It’s like being in a sauna while you’re exercising. So, yeah, it’s always very hot. You try to cool yourself down as well as you can between the runs, but the whole cockpit is hot, just like your entire body. But in a way, we love it as well.”

This weekend will be Max’s 250th Formula 1 Grand Prix. Oracle Red Bull Racing celebrated the four-time World Champion’s milestone on Thursday by presenting him with a special cake.

“We have the facilities to deliver a very good power unit. Red Bull invested a lot in that. I was not too stressed about that, but we are very happy how we started. We are very proud. At the same time, we keep working hard, because there are a lot of area’s we want to improve. That’s the mentality we have within the team.”

Following the win, Max flew straight to Singapore where this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix will take place. Despite the back-to-back races, the Dutchman was able to make the most of the days in between events: “I have spent time with my dad. We haven’t had a lot of time together lately, just because of both our schedules and lives. So, it was nice to spend time with him and relax. I just did a race, so you want to recover a bit from it. There are still a lot of races left, so it’s important to also take time to switch of a bit.”

Thierry Vermeulen said: “It was a really great race. Ben did a great job in the first stint after the very hectic start. He managed it in a great way. A big thank you to the team. I am very happy with this win.”

Ben Green added: “This is fantastic! It is a great result for the team, as everyone has been working so hard. Thierry drove a great stint to the end.”

“This one didn’t come out of nowhere,” a visibly relieved and delighted Jos tells Viaplay. “Especially with that final Safety Car, the whole field came back together. We had a ten or eleven-second lead and Max was managing the gap, so it was looking good. But suddenly all of that was wiped out. Somehow, though, the pace is back. You can see it in the steering inputs as well. It looks positive again.”

Mekies added: “The first win of the season is a great way to finish what has been an extremely successful weekend overall. After showing strong pace in every session and securing our first pole position of the season yesterday, Max converted that performance into an outstanding P1 today. In often chaotic circumstances, he remained in control throughout the race, managed the conditions brilliantly, showed the strongest pace and delivered exactly the kind of performance we know he is capable of.”

Thanks to strong race pace and a good team strategy, Max led a controlled race all the way to the finish. A late safety car and a corresponding restart also didn't manage to throw off Max's race. Kimi Antonelli followed in second place in his Mercedes, while Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) drove an excellent final stint to claim the last podium place.

“It is fantastic,” a delighted Max Verstappen said afterwards. “We have been trying many Grands Prix to get pole. Sometimes we were a bit closer than others, but to finally get it, from where we started the season, is incredible.” The Dutchman can see that the progress Red Bull has made throughout the season is now being rewarded: “Finally, I have a car with which it is possible. The whole season has obviously been difficult at times. You know that sometimes you drive really good laps, but that only gets you P5 or P6. We have made some good steps forward throughout the season, and maybe this circuit also suits our car a little better. Then everything comes together nicely.” According to Max, the work on the balance and gaining a better understanding of the new car has been particularly important. “I think we have simply improved the balance throughout the season by bringing upgrades, of course. And I also think we have the car in a slightly better operating window. There are obviously all these new regulations. At some point, I think you understand a little better where you want the car to be. At least we have managed that well so far this weekend.”

Max certainly was not handed pole on a plate in Q3. His first two sectors were less impressive on his final run, but he managed to make up time in the final sector. Max: “My last set of tyres was not at the right temperature when I left the pits. We need to analyse why that was. Because of that, I had to adjust my out-lap, and everything is very sensitive here. That is probably why the first two sectors were not quite as good.” Starting from pole, Verstappen will go in search of his first Grand Prix victory of the season tomorrow. With high tyre degradation and multiple pit stops, there is plenty that can happen, but Max knows where it all starts for him: “For us, it starts with the start, of course. That is going to be a problem, but after that it is still a very long race. I am happy with today and, of course, I am going to try to win tomorrow. If you start first, that is the goal.”

“In the second session, we had expected rain but, when that didn’t appear, we prioritised the long run on the medium tyre, as gaining data on tyre behaviour and degradation will be the most important thing for the rest of the weekend. In the end, that meant we ran out of time for Max to run the Soft, but Isack had the opportunity, and that was valuable. Isack had a few issues in the session with balance, but we will do our best to iron those out overnight. After that, in terms of relative performance, it is very difficult to judge, but so far, we are happy with where we are."

“I think we had a decent start to the weekend,” Max said after the second free practice session in Malaysia. “It’s tricky, the track is really hot and we have a lot of degradation. So there are a lot of things we need to figure out.”

Max continued: “It’s difficult to say if we made progress. It was warmer in FP2 than in FP1, and we were on a different program.”

Looking ahead to the rest of the weekend, Max said: “We have a lot of things to do, a lot to look at and try, and some things we need to understand better.”

At the start of the session, the air temperature is 31 degrees, while the track temperature is 52 degrees. With a 0% chance of rain, there is little prospect of wet weather during the session. Franco Colapinto is the first driver to head out when the lights go green. The vast majority of the field takes to the track on the medium tyres. Max is also out early and begins his first laps on the soft tyres. He immediately sets the fastest time on them.

Having finished on the podium in recent races, Max is motivated to keep this run going. “We really have tried our best and we’ve been scoring a lot of podiums, but I want to win, that’s why I am here. We’re close and I really want to win at least one race this year.”

“It’s a shame, because this is one of my favourite rallies of the year,” Jos says. “The weather was really nice and there was some strong competition, so I was looking forward to it. A lot of the stages are fast, they were in great condition and it’s a very complete rally.”

The East Belgian Rally consists of four different special stages, each of which is contested three times: Büllingen (14.04 km), Bütgenbach (6.30 km), St. Vith (12.04 km) and Burg-Reuland (13.67 km).

While the Red Bull looked competitive during free practice, Max encountered engine problems in qualifying. “The engine wasn’t working properly throughout qualifying,” Max says afterwards. “We had made an adjustment to the car, but it wasn’t working. I was already half a second down on the straights compared to my teammate.” In Q3, the problem became even more apparent. “You want to push for your middle lap and suddenly I’m told that my battery isn’t full. It’s not charging, it’s not working.” As a result, Max saw a strong starting position slip away. “You do such a good job preparing all weekend, the car is working well, and then everything falls apart in qualifying and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

The problems also had an impact on the tyres. Because Max was unable to push at full speed, he could not get them up to temperature sufficiently for his final attempt. “I simply didn’t have the right grip on that final lap. And then, of course, you have the same problem with the engine not working properly. And I also had a yellow flag from Lando in front of me.” According to Max, the engine braking also behaved strangely at times. “It was like pulling the handbrake in certain corners. So yeah, something is seriously wrong. It’s not good enough.” Red Bull will have to investigate over the coming hours whether the problem can still be resolved. “I don’t know if we can fix this with this engine. It’s obviously frustrating to be so competitive all weekend and then throw it all away like that.”

“Mercedes looks like the fastest car, especially on the short runs, McLaren and Ferrari are hard to assess due to a lot happening on track, but we should be up there with them. It was good to see Isack back in the car and being competitive and up to speed straight away, with no issues concerning his wrist."

“It was actually a pretty good day”, said Max. “I’m pretty happy with the car. We’ll have to fine tune a few things and try to find some more lap time. But in general, it’s been a good start with the updates behaving the way we expected.”

The weather is glorious as the first practice session gets underway. The thermometer reads 28 degrees, while the track temperature is 50 degrees. As soon as the lights at the end of the pit lane turn green, the track immediately becomes busy. Max is also straight out on track, running a set of hard tyres, and immediately sets the fastest time. “The car is pulling strangely to the right, even when I am driving straight,” the Dutchman reports over the team radio.

“I get along well with Isack and it’s great that we can continue to focus on the future together. He was a rookie last year and he has done well this year so it’s only logical to give him an extension. He has earned it.”

After being side-lined for three rounds, Hadjar will be back in the cockpit with the challenging Baku street circuit awaiting the drivers. Max: “It’s challenging and can be hectic. It’s not easy to get into the right window and flow, especially with the tyres. That’s the real challenge, to find the confidence to be on the limit in every braking zone.”

Laurent Mekies, CEO and team principal of Oracle Red Bull Racing, said: “We’re very excited to continue our journey with Isack. Since joining us at the start of the year, he has been superb on and off track, especially considering this is only his second Formula 1 season, which made extending his contract an easy decision.”

“From the very beginning, Isack immersed himself in the team, spending every minute at the factory with his engineers to develop the car, always eager to learn and improve. You could see from that first weekend in Melbourne that he handled the step up with remarkable composure and had earned his place in this seat.”

“The period since his injury has been a difficult one for Isack, but this extension is a testament to how much we believe in him and we can’t wait to see him back out on track. We still have a lot we want to achieve this season, but it's a great feeling to know that the drivers, engineers and everyone back at the factory are all heading in the same direction, committed and together.”

Looking back on the Spanish Grand Prix, where Max Verstappen finished second, the Dutchman says: “Madrid was a good result for us and the team has been working hard on taking this positive momentum to make sure we maximise the performance of the car in Baku.”

The driver duo had already secured an impressive podium finish in front of their home crowd on Saturday, and things went even better on Sunday, starting from third on the grid. Green immediately moved up to second place at the rolling start, slotting in behind the sister car from Emil Frey Racing. After a while, a full course yellow followed, and at the restart, Green made the difference by overtaking Konsta Lappalainen to take the lead.

The pit stop and driver change halfway through the one-hour race went smoothly, leaving Thierry to drive the remainder of the race without mistakes. Vermeulen did exactly that: after 36 laps, he took the chequered flag to secure his maiden GTWC Sprint victory. The second Emil Frey Racing Ferrari, driven by Matteo Cairoli, crossed the finish line in third place.

Taking his trophy, Max cheekily joked: “It’s my first one of the year, so I’ll take this one!”