Max Verstappen Secures Pole at Sepang After Red Bull Upgrade
· Sports · BBC Sport, Al Jazeera
Max Verstappen claimed his first pole position of the year at the Sepang track in Malaysia, dominating the weekend ahead of Sunday's race. Lewis Hamilton qualified second on the front row, finishing nearly 0.3 seconds slower than Verstappen in qualifying. Red Bull introduced a new floor upgrade that proved effective in the tropical heat and rough surface of the Sepang circuit. Verstappen previously signed a two-year contract extension with Red Bull over the summer after starting the season off the pace. Team-mate Isack Hadjar returned in Baku last weekend after missing three races with a broken wrist.
Why it matters
The performance shift reshapes the competitive balance in Formula 1 as Red Bull unlocks significant pace from its latest car upgrades.
Read the original report — BBC Sport
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