F1 / NEWS & CONTEXT
Verstappen hails Red Bull progress after first 2026 pole at Sepang
Archive photograph: Max Verstappen · Dutch Grand Prix, Zandvoort 2024 · 2024-08-25Archive photo · 2024-08-25 · Steffen Prößdorf · CC BY-SA 4.0
After taking his first pole of the season at Sepang, Max Verstappen said Red Bull had made big steps forward and that tyre management would be central to the race.
Max Verstappen called his first pole of the 2026 season a proud moment for Red Bull after beating the field by nearly three tenths in qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia at Sepang. He credited the team’s hard work to refine the car through the weekend and said the circuit layout suited it.
Looking ahead to the race, Verstappen said tyre management and degradation would be central.
Sources 01
- PRIMARY SOURCEWhat the teams said – Qualifying in MalaysiaFormula 1
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