“The only thing we can control”: Verstappen after crucial pole position in Abu Dhabi
- Maham Mir
- 1 hour ago
- 2 min read
Written by Maham Mir
Max Verstappen cemented his 48th career pole at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi at a crucial moment in the championship battle. With Lando Norris in P2 and Oscar Piastri in P3, Verstappen has placed himself exactly where he needs to be to still be in contention for his fifth World Drivers’ Championship title.
Speaking immediately after qualifying, Verstappen made clear that pole position, especially ahead of both of his championship rivals was “the only thing we can control” and “the only thing we can do”.
Verstappen, who finished P2 in both of Friday’s free practice sessions and P3 in FP3, remained behind rival Norris throughout the weekend. However, a timely tow from teammate Yuki Tsunoda paired with a phenomenal final timed lap saw Verstappen jump ahead of Norris when it mattered the most.
Speaking about his discomfort in the car over the three free practice sessions, the four time world champion said that it’s “never 100% sure” when you make set-up changes in between FP3 and qualifying. As a reminder, FP1 and FP3 are not entirely representative sessions of qualifying or the race in Abu Dhabi’s desert location.
Even though both of his championship rivals start behind him, and with the knowledge that the last 10 Abu Dhabi Grands Prix have been won from pole, Verstappen still said that he and Red Bull “need a bit of luck”. For the sake of Verstappen’s title chances, Norris would need to finish below P3 and Verstappen would need to win the race for the deficit needed for a fifth title.
Even with the 104 point deficit Verstappen managed to overcome to bring himself into this position to still be competing for the title in the final race of the season, Verstappen’s hesitance to look too much into the pole position was noted. He stated “let’s see what we can do” in response to being asked about how much he fancied his chances of the win, both of the race and title.
A 58 lap race, with all its conditions and variables, stands between Verstappen and a fifth title to equal Michael Schumacher’s record of five consecutive WDC titles. Under the lights in the desert, Verstappen will be hoping for a repeat of his four previous wins around the Yas Marina Circuit.
