Verstappen 'quite surprised' to reach top three in qualifying

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Max Verstappen says he defied his own expectations in Saturday's Australian Grand Prix qualifying after securing third on the grid for tomorrow's race despite a shaky start to his weekend at Albert Park.

The reigning champion, who grappled with a temperamental Red Bull RB21 during Friday's practice sessions – finishing fifth in FP1 and seventh in FP2 – admitted to being surprised by the turnaround.

While teammate Liam Lawson languished again near the bottom of the order, Verstappen's overnight tweaks transformed the car's behavior, landing him just 0.385s behind Lando Norris' pole-setting McLaren in Q3.

"We had a bit of a tough start," said the Dutchman after qualifying. "This has never really been a good track to us I think as well, so it took a bit of time to understand how we can improve the situation, and we did that today."

"I'm quite surprised to be sitting here [in the press conference] after yesterday! I felt confident. I felt one with the car.

"Of course, clearly it was lacking a bit of pace, but overall, happy with the laps in qualifying."

An Unexpected Turnaround

Verstappen's comments highlighted a remarkable recovery from a car that felt off-balance just 24 hours earlier.

Friday's struggles painted a grim picture for Red Bull, with the reigning world champion unable to coax consistent pace from the RB21 during qualifying simulations.

Lawson's woes – culminating in a Q1 exit – only deepened the team's concerns. Yet, overnight adjustments sharpened the car's behavior, evident in Verstappen's FP3 performance, where he trailed Oscar Piastri's benchmark by a mere 0.081s.

In qualifying, those gains held firm, positioning him ahead of Ferrari and Mercedes.

Verstappen credited the team's focus on balance for the upswing.

"We were just trying to fine-tune the balance, and the car just came alive a little bit more in general, it was quite OK to drive because it was too slow," he explained.

"Today it was a little bit faster, but clearly still not fast enough. But still, to be ahead of Ferrari and Mercedes I think is good for us."

Though not a match for McLaren's outright speed, the RB21's improved drivability allowed Verstappen to extract enough to secure a top-three berth.

Eyes on the Race

Despite his qualifying success, Verstappen tempered expectations for Sunday's event at Albert Park, noting tyre sensitivity – especially in high-speed corners – and hampered consistency, particularly in the circuit's final sector.

"I don't expect like any kind of miracles about it, I think [long-run pace] is OK. But I think it's not on the same level [as the McLarens]. I'll just do my best to see what happens tomorrow," he said.

Friday's medium-tyre stints pegged Red Bull's race pace as fourth-best, though setup changes may yet shift the picture.

With rain looming and McLaren locking out the front row, Verstappen's third place offers a platform to fight – but not a guarantee.

His surprise at reaching the podium press conference reflects a weekend salvaged through grit and fine-tuning, setting the stage for a tactical battle on race day.

2024 Australian Grand Prix - Qualifying results

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