Verstappen in high spirits after pole and responds aptly to Rosberg's compliment

Max Verstappen has responded to Nico Rosberg’s comments after he blasted his way to pole for the Italian GP at Monza.

Verstappen was at the peak of his abilities. Not for the first time in his career, he amazed the Formula 1 world with a seemingly perfect lap in Q3. It drew the Italian crowd to its feet and lifted the spirits of the Dutchman.

Red Bull Racing and Verstappen are having a tough season where the highlights are limited. Both Verstappen and his teammate Yuki Tsunoda have struggled with the cars’ performance and Verstappen has defied the odds to win twice already this season.

And it was not because of a dominant RB21 but because Verstappen, in his distinct style, drove a superb lap. On English television, analyst and former world champion Nico Rosberg said that lap alone proves that Verstappen belongs in those classes as the very best drivers ever in Formula 1.

"We know he is one of the five greatest F1 drivers of all time. This kind of drivers prove that on a day like today. It is incredible what he can do," said the German, undoubtedly with the best intentions.

Verstappen doesn't need Rosberg's compliment

When Verstappen finally spoke with Dutch press after a long session with the media he was asked about Rosberg’s compliment by GPblog, and the four-time champion responds in a way only he can: "I don't need his confirmation, of course," before Verstappen bursts out laughing loudly.

Don't misunderstand him, Verstappen is not the type to be arrogant about his abilities. That he was tempted to a joke was mainly driven by the performances on this sunny day in Monza. "It obviously turned out better than what I had thought when entering the weekend," Verstappen confesses after another question from this website.

The fact that things are going well for him in Italy so far, is also due to the visible progress at Red Bull Racing. This week in Monza and also last week in Zandvoort, it seems that the Milton Keynes-based team has found the sweet spot of the car. "I think I now know better how we want to set up the car. Afterwards, you make small steps forward every session instead of changing a lot of things. That of course helped a bit in qualifying," Verstappen says.

Max Verstappen after his pole position in Monza - Red Bull Contentpool

However, the Dutchman doesn't want to say he is the favorite for victory on Sunday. Yes, things are going better with Red Bull, but never underestimate McLaren - is his message.

"They have of course always been very good, always better on the tires than everyone else. That is still an advantage they have. I just hope that if it feels a little better for us, I have a chance. Hopefully, we can cope a bit, but it's very difficult to say."