By Tom Cary
The boos that rang out for Max Verstappen from the stands at Yas Marina following qualifying for Sunday’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix were not overly shrill; a murmur rather than a chorus. But they still told a story. What a strange 12 months it has been since we were last here.
The undercurrent of discontent began that day, to be sure. Not that the controversial denouement to last year’s title race was Verstappen’s fault. Far from it. He was blameless for then FIA race director Michael Masi’s decision to withdraw a safety car with one lap remaining, effectively handing him the title at the expense of Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton.
Max Verstappen en route to pole position in Abu Dhabi.Credit:Getty Images
Verstappen did the best job he could in the circumstances. And since then, he has driven the wheels off his car: 14 victories this season – with a possible 15th if he can convert his pole position in Abu Dhabi – testament to his and Red Bull’s dominance. Yet back at the “scene of the crime”, it is difficult to escape the impression that Red Bull just want this season to be over. The poison that began to spread that day has leant the season a toxic atmosphere.
It is sad in many ways. This should be Red Bull’s crowning moment of glory at the end of an incredible campaign. Yet even with both world titles, even with their first front-row lockout of the year secured in Saturday qualifying, with Sergio Perez 0.228 seconds slower than his teammate, even with the prospect of the team’s first one-two in the drivers’ championship should Perez finish ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, it still feels as if they are limping towards the finish line.
Much of that is of their own making. Red Bull have lurched from the budget-cap row to the Sky Sports F1 row, to last weekend’s team orders row in Brazil. Verstappen’s refusal to pull over for his teammate on the final lap at Interlagos sparked damaging stories in the Netherlands that it was “payback” for Perez’s crash in qualifying in Monaco in May, which team Verstappen allegedly felt was done on purpose to secure the Mexican pole position. Perez has denied the allegation and the matter does not look like going any further with none of Red Bull’s rivals apparently up for lodging a complaint.
Toto Wolff, the Mercedes team principal, even questioned this weekend whether Perez would have crashed on purpose in the way he did. “Would a driver really put his car in a wall and risk his gearbox?” Wolff asked. “You could be going all the way to the back of the grid.”
Verstappen and teammate Sergio Perez.Credit:Getty Images
The truth is, though, he did not really need to stick the knife in. The damage to Red Bull has already been done. The row exposed cracks in their driver line-up, raised questions about the team’s leadership, and about Verstappen’s judgment and the advice he is getting from his close circle. It undoubtedly contributed to the boos on Saturday.
After topping the timesheets in practice, Red Bull carried that speed through to qualifying, and showed a united front afterwards.
Verstappen had promised to help Perez secure second in the title race if he could and the Dutchman was as good as his word, giving Perez a tow on the Mexican’s final flying lap. It was not enough to get Perez pole, with Verstappen still too quick for him, but it has put Red Bull in the perfect position for the race.
Behind them, the Ferraris of Leclerc and Carlos Sainz were quicker than the Mercedes of Hamilton and George Russell, with Wolff commenting: “I’ve just heard today is World Toilet Day and I think that’s one to put in the toilet.”
Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel was ninth in the final qualifying session of his career.
Daniel Ricciardo will start from 13th in his final race for McLaren.
The Telegraph, London
