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Red Bull Racing team boss Christian Horner praised pole-maker Max Verstappen after qualifying in Abu Dhabi. But he also immediately emphasized: “Now it is important that we also succeed in the race.”
At the end of the final final practice of the season, Max Verstappen burned the pole time on the asphalt of the Abu Dhabi desert field. The Red Bull Racing star stayed a bit faster than the Mercedes drivers with 1: .35.246 minutes. Valtteri Bottas missed 25 and Lewis Hamilton 86 thousandths of a second.
Verstappen achieved the first pole in Abu Dhabi for the Milton Keynes racing team since 2013. He himself was allowed to start from first place at last year’s Brazilian GP. Team boss Christian Horner’s praise for the speedy Dutchman was equally high. “In the end he got a brilliant lap and it was very close, because the first three separate less than a tenth.”
Verstappen was upset last week because he had missed pole, the Briton said. “It’s much better for the team that they have shown such a phenomenal performance here. It was important for the team that works so hard to get everything out of the car, and also for Honda and Max himself, who has always delivered this year. “
“You know you can count on Max, he always gives his all and always manages to surprise positively,” Horner enthused. “You can also see from the team’s reaction how much this success means after this long and difficult season. Now it is important that we also succeed in the race and turn the good starting position into a good result. ”
The 47-year-old team boss explained to Alex Albon, that he was 0.325 seconds slower than Verstappen and started the race from position 5: “Alex starts on soft tires and if he escapes well he can play a role at the front. “.
Qualifying, Abu Dhabi
1. Max Verstappen (NL), Red Bull Racing, 1:35 246 mins
2. Valtteri Bottas (FIN), Mercedes, +0.025 seconds
3. Lewis Hamilton (GB), Mercedes, +0 086
4. Lando Norris (GB), McLaren, +0.251
5. Alex Albon (T), Red Bull Racing, +0.325
6. Carlos Sainz (E), McLaren, +0.569
7. Daniil Kvyat (RUS), AlphaTauri, +0.717
8. Lance Stroll (CDN), Racing Point, +0,800
9. Charles Leclerc (MC), Ferrari, +0.819
10. Pierre Gasly (F), AlphaTauri, +0.996
11. Esteban Ocon (F), Renault, +1,113
12. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS), Renault, +1,160
13. Sebastian Vettel (R), Ferrari, + 1385
14. Antonio Giovinazzi (I), Alfa Romeo, +3.002
15. Sergio Pérez (MEX), Racing Point, no time
16. Kimi Räikkönen (FIN), Alfa Romeo, +2.309
17. Kevin Magnussen (DK), Haas, +2,617
18. George Russell (GB), Williams, +2799
19. Pietro Fittipaldi (BR), Haas, +2,927
20. Nicholas Latifi (CDN), Williams, +3,197