Autodromo Nazionale Monza, recognized to all within the motorsport world merely as Monza, known as the Temple of Velocity for a purpose.
Max Verstappen helped Monza stay as much as its identify on Saturday with a qualifying efficiency that can echo all through F1’s storied historical past.
The Pink Bull driver and four-time champion rocketed to pole place on the Temple of Velocity Saturday with a lap of 1:18.792, the quickest lap within the legendary circuit’s historical past. But when that was not sufficient, that lap time over the three.6-mile circuit translated to a mean velocity of 164.47 miles per hour, making Verstappen’s effort the quickest qualifying lap within the historical past of the game.
“It was good,” mentioned Verstappen of his remaining push lap in Q3. “It’s all the time robust round right here. Low downforce, simple to make errors on the braking or on entries as a result of you must commit, however with low downforce, that’s not all the time simple. Additionally, , the closing speeds in sure corners to hit the apex completely.
“However I feel that remaining lap was fairly respectable. To get pole right here for us is massive. It’s not all the time been monitor for us, particularly final 12 months was fairly a little bit of a catastrophe. So, yeah, this 12 months a lot better and really joyful to be first.”
Requested about setting that new report, in addition to this technology of automobiles, by Luke Smith of The Athletic, Verstappen gave credit score to the automobile and driver whose report he broke, the 164.27 mph report set by Lewis Hamilton at Monza in 2020.
“[This generation of cars] are fairly respectable within the excessive velocity. They’re fairly fast in a straight line. After all, the low velocity, that’s the place we lose out in comparison with the earlier technology. And yeah, on some tracks you are able to do these lap information now,” began Verstappen.
“Truthfully, I didn’t even take into consideration that once I crossed the road, but it surely’s good. It didn’t really feel too unhealthy. The automobiles have been enjoyable. Additionally, the brand new tarmac helps round right here, kerbing – just like the kerbs opened up a bit bit. I feel the 2020 Mercedes remains to be faster in the event you would put it on the monitor now, but it surely’s been good. At some tracks it’s extra enjoyable than others.”
As for whether or not the unimaginable tempo the RB21 confirmed on Saturday will translate to a win on Sunday, Verstappen held his playing cards near the vest.
“Troublesome to say,” added Verstappen. “I feel this season to this point, the race tempo has not all the time been nice. So I hope that I can do one thing tomorrow, however I feel anyway it’s been a fantastic day for us. We’ve been aggressive immediately. We’ll attempt to do the very best we are able to tomorrow, however in fact to remain right here can be robust, however we’ll see what we are able to do.”
