Jeddah: After Max Verstappen secured pole position in the top qualifiers for the F1 Saudi Arabian GP on Saturday night, the leading three drivers said that the competition was very intense for Sunday’s race.
Speaking to the media during the post-qualifying conference, Verstappen (Red Bull Racing), Oscar Piastri (McLaren), and George Russell (Mercedes) discussed how optimistic they were for Sunday’s race and other challenges.
“I am very happy,” Verstappen said. “I definitely didn’t expect to be on pole here after FP3 as well and looking at how the whole weekend was. We made some final changes, and it was a lot more enjoyable to drive.”
Speaking about Sunday’s race, Verstappen said: “I think in the race it will be tough to keep them behind, but we’re going to give it a good go.”
“It is much better than what we had in Bahrain, of course. And, yeah, let’s see what we can do tomorrow in the race,” he added.
Russell said: “If Oscar gets into the lead, you’ll probably see a repeat of Bahrain. If we stay in the order we qualified, I think it could be a tight race until the pit stops.”
Meanwhile, Piastri said that it would be a long and tough race. “I’m happy with the job I did,” he said. “I think it was playing catch-up a little bit through the first part of qualifying and then, yeah, that last lap felt more or less like the best I could have done. So, you know, I think Max has done a good job.”
He added: “Yes, we will fight hard for the final. I think our pace is good. It’s going to be a tough race and the tires are a bit softer than last year, so we’ll see if that plays to our advantage.”
The Jeddah Corniche Circuit is known for its high-speed turns, creating challenges for drivers. All three top qualifiers emphasized the need for rhythm and precision on the track.
