SEPANG — Less than a month after qualifying sixth at Monza and describing his Red Bull as "made of paper," Max Verstappen has surged to pole position in Malaysia, marking a rapid reversal for Red Bull. The turnaround comes weeks after frustration in Italy put the team's car degradation concerns in the spotlight.
Verstappen's "made of paper" remark specifically concerned car degradation — components that sometimes deteriorate over the course of a race. Both Verstappen and Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies have said that issue can no longer be fully resolved in 2026, framing the problem as a lingering limitation for the remainder of the season.
Despite that unresolved weakness, Verstappen and Red Bull have found the pace to lead qualifying at Sepang, flipping a sixth-place starting spot at Monza into a front-row advantage in Malaysia. The result comes on a demanding weekend where Sepang's rough surface has left the field well off Pirelli's simulations.