Damon Hill drops 2-word reaction to Max Verstappen securing pole position for the F1 Italian GP

Max Verstappen
Max Verstappen and Damon Hill...Credits-Getty

Former F1 world champion Damon Hill gave a short reaction to Red Bull driver Max Verstappen in securing pole position and the fastest lap in F1 history at the 2025 Italian Grand Prix qualifying. Heading into the qualifying session, the Dutch driver looked to be one of the favorites to secure pole position at the iconic Monza circuit alongside Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc and the two McLarens.

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While Leclerc, buoyed by the roaring Tifosi, looked to be on pace, he was unable to hook up his final lap in Q3 and ultimately finished three tenths behind Verstappen. The four-time F1 world champion broke the heart of Lando Norris in the final seconds of Q3 after he pipped him to the pole position, going on to break the track record.

In a post shared by F1 and Red Bull, Max Verstappen clocked in a time of 1:18:792 on his final timed lap with an average speed of 264.682 km/h, breaking the record previously held by Lewis Hamilton, which he set in the 2020 edition of the race.

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On his Instagram Story, the former Williams F1 driver reshared the post and gave a two-word reaction to Verstappen's feat, saying:

"Maxed Out,"
Snapshot of Damon Hill's story...credits- Instagram
Snapshot of Damon Hill's story...credits- Instagram

It was also Max Verstappen's first pole position at the Monza circuit despite having two wins in 2022 and 2023.

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Max Verstappen comments on breaking Lewis Hamilton's record at Monza

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen stated that he was not aware when he crossed the chequered flag that he had broken the lap record of his archrival and Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton and set the fastest time in history.

In his post-quali press conference, the 27-year-old reflected on the achievement and said of the strengths of the current generation of cars:

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"They are pretty decent in the high speed. They’re quite quick in a straight line. Of course, the low speed, that’s where we lose out compared to the previous generation. And yeah, on some tracks you can do these lap records now. Honestly, I didn’t even think about that when I crossed the line, but it’s nice.
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"It didn’t feel too bad. The cars have been fun. Also, the new tarmac helps around here, kerbing – like the kerbs opened up a little bit. I think the 2020 Mercedes is still quicker if you would put it on the track now, but it’s been good. At some tracks it’s more fun than others."

Mercedes W11 is widely regarded as one of the fastest cars in F1 history and was known for its stability platform and for producing excellent downforce. Despite getting the record in the 2020 edition of the race, Hamilton was unable to convert it into a race victory, a feat that Max Verstappen would like to avoid on Sunday.

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Edited by Devang Chauhan
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