Max Verstappen Joins Elite Club With Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher After Trailblazing Austrian GP Pole

Max Verstappen sent the crowd at the Red Bull Ring into raptures after securing his 40th F1 pole position at the 2024 Austrian GP. The Dutchman completely outclassed his competition as he took P1 from his closest competitor Lando Norris by a staggering margin of 0.404 seconds. Plus, the #1 driver’s final Q3 lap has also elevated him into an elite club reserved for some of F1’s biggest legends.

Today, Verstappen is touted as one of the fastest men on the grid over a single lap. And his blistering Austrian GP qualifying lap sees him grab his fifth-consecutive pole position at the Red Bull Ring. Only three other drivers have managed to secure five or more consecutive pole positions at a single venue.

Ayrton Senna leads that list with seven consecutive poles at Imola from 1985 to 1991. Lewis Hamilton has managed to bag pole at the Albert Park Street Circuit six times (2014-2019). Michael Schumacher has five pole positions in Barcelona (2000-2004) and Suzuka (1998-2002) respectively. Verstappen, accounting for the back-to-back races at Austria in 2021, has now bagged his fifth in 2024.

Coming into the weekend, the RB20’s prowess around the Red Bull Ring was brought into question multiple times. However, despite struggling during the lone Practice Session, the Dutchman has gone on to dominate the entire weekend so far. He took pole in the Sprint Shootout, won the Sprint race, and will start P1 for Sunday’s Grand Prix as well.

Given how Red Bull still holds a slight advantage in terms of race pace, Verstappen is the favorite to win his 62nd Grand Prix in Spielberg. If he does achieve that, he will come closer to breaking yet another record.

Max Verstappen could equal Mercedes’ Austrian GP record with a win tomorrow

As the name would suggest, the Red Bull Ring is home to the Milton-Keynes-based outfit. Yet, it is Mercedes who have won the Austrian GP the most number of times as a Constructor. However, Verstappen could change that statistic after this year’s Grand Prix.

The Silver Arrows have won the Austrian GP six times. Verstappen meanwhile, has emerged victorious at the Red Bull Ring on five previous occasions. If he can fend off a challenge from the likes of Norris and George Russell tomorrow, he could lift Red Bull as the joint-record winners of the race in Spielberg.

Verstappen has to keep his nose clean and stay ahead of the chasing pack after lap one. In that case, he will most likely be taking the chequered flag as a six-time winner of the Austrian GP.