F1 | Verstappen’s hope could become Norris’s nightmare

At the end of a qualifying session made difficult by very treacherous track conditions, you would expect to see the drivers in the top three positions take off their helmets and show off a determined smile. None of this. Lando Norris celebrated his second pole position of the season with the same expression that you would normally see at the end of a free practice session.

A pat on the back from Oscar Piastri, who himself was far from in the mood to celebrate despite the front row. Seeing his teammate in pole position is not the best, and missing the target by just twenty-two thousandths leaves room for a certain regret.

Max Verstappen was on the same page, losing pole by 46 thousandths. After a lap that was “practically perfect” for the world champion, the position appeared on the display: P3. A punch on the steering wheel followed and a return to the pits that was anything but peaceful. When asked what caused that gesture, Verstappen cut short: “Am I not allowed to be frustrated?” Scenes that could have been expected from George Russell, sensationally excluded from Q2, certainly not from a driver who, in addition to being the clear leader of the championship, will start from the second row tomorrow, behind the poleman. This is also Verstappen’s strength, it is forbidden to rest on one’s laurels and no one like him has sensed well in advance that the wind on the technical front has changed.

An all-McLaren front row was among the most popular predictions, already in yesterday’s tests Norris’ pace was seen well both in the qualifying simulations and in the long-runs. Today’s result reiterated everything clearly, the only surprising data was actually the gap between the two McLarens and Max, a result much less than the blink of an eye.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

Verstappen’s nervousness is typical of champions, cannibals who are not willing to give up anything, but it is probably also due to a significant expectation that has grown within the team, an expectation that has not found the expected response on the track. “The updates certainly work,” Max explained, “but we are not first yet, right? So, we need something more. I was very happy with my laps, but everything was really on the limit.”

The technical innovations on the Dutchman’s RB20 should have confirmed a change in hierarchy (which was not seen) but it must also be taken into account that the Hungaroring was already considered a very suitable track for McLaren on the eve, and so it was. A supremacy measurable, however, in thousandths of a second, certainly not the two and a half tenths seen yesterday, when Red Bull was running with a very conservative power unit mode.
“The car wasn’t perfectly balanced,” commented Helmut Marko after qualifying. “It’s true that 46 thousandths is a very small margin, but in the end Max is third because of this delay. A decisive factor was the temperature that dropped drastically, perhaps the set-up didn’t adapt well to these conditions.”

Another thing is the evaluations in view of tomorrow’s race. The long run completed in FP3 by Verstappen with a set of hards was impressive in terms of consistency and pace. “It makes us very optimistic,” admitted Marko, “Max’s tire wear was minimal. This makes us confident.” But here comes the last reason for the nervousness seen in Verstappen at the end of qualifying. If he had managed to put his car in second position, he would have had (at least on paper) the possibility of overtaking Norris at the start or in any case joining the queue and evaluating the possibility of an undercut or an overcut, but if tomorrow he slips into third at the end of the first lap, things could get complicated. “McLaren has two cars,” underlined Marko, “so if they use their strategy well, we will certainly have difficulties.”

Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL38

Photo by: Steve Etherington / Motorsport Images

Red Bull will rely on Max, in the hope that he can overtake at least one of the two McLarens at the start and then play for the victory in the later stages of the race. Max’s hope coincides with Norris’s nightmare, which already appeared in the pre-race from the moment the checkered flag was waved that concluded qualifying. It is the definitive proof of how much the pressure has grown due to the successes left along the way (also due to the team’s responsibility) and how much Lando is looking for a repeat victory after the success in Miami. Now he knows he has everything he needs to get it and in qualifying he put the car in the best position in view of tomorrow’s seventy laps. It will be a long eve for Norris, and the race will probably be even longer. But if the long-awaited success arrives, everything will be different, perhaps even the script of this world championship.