'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko claimed that the Austrian team was "back" after Max Verstappen took pole position at the Sprint qualifying session on Friday. The Dutch driver looked imperious throughout the day as he set the pace on the track with his rivals chasing him.
The reigning world champions have brought a massive upgrade package to the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, after being outperformed by McLaren for the majority of the last ten races. The Milton-Keynes outfit has even lost its hold on the Constructor's Championships, with the British team taking over the helm and now leading them by 41 points.
Max Verstappen hasn't won a race since the Spanish GP in late June, and Imola was the last time he secured a pole position. He took an engine penalty at the Belgian GP, which demoted him outside the points.
Speaking with PlanetF1, the 82-year-old Marko looked ecstatic with Verstappen's pole in the Sprint qualifying session as he managed to put the fastest lap in the dying minutes of the SQ3 session and pipped Mercedes's George Russell by a mere 0.012 seconds. After the session, Marko declared:
“I would say Red Bull is back. Yes, Red Bull is back.”
Max Verstappen analyzes his P1 at the Sprint qualifying session
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen stated that he felt that it was a "positive day" for him after getting P1 at the Sprint qualifying on Friday. As per F1.com, the three-time world champion said:
“It was a positive day. From lap one the car was in a decent window and I felt quite comfortable. I could attack the high speed corners and I think we were quite quick there. Going into a Sprint quali is always a tricky one as you do two mediums and then a soft tyre: with the mediums you get a bit of reference but then you go into SQ3 with the soft tyre which is only really one lap.
"You can’t really push to the limit and you have to leave a bit of a margin. Looking at the lap, there are a few little balance issues to sort out, but to be ahead of the others is really positive. I’m aware that there are a lot of fast cars around me but I’m happy and it’s definitely a positive return. Looking to the rest of the weekend, we just want to make the car a bit more driveable and that we are all good on the tyres in the race.”
Max Verstappen's closest championship rival and McLaren driver Lando Norris would start the Sprint race on Saturday from P4 after he was unable to replicate his previous performances in Austin, Texas.
