Max Verstappen reveals his terrifying escape after Red Bull made a mistake in the garage during qualifying in Austin and shocked fans
Austin, Texas – Tension at the Circuit of the Americas reached its peak during qualifying for the United States Grand Prix when a dramatic mistake in the Red Bull garage stopped the hearts of millions of fans. Max Verstappen, the four-time world champion from the Netherlands, narrowly escaped a potentially disastrous incident that could have jeopardized his pole position – and perhaps his race. In an exclusive interview afterwards, the Red Bull driver revealed details about his ‘terrifying escape’, a moment that shocked not only him, but also the entire paddock.
It was a sunny Saturday afternoon in Austin, where the Formula 1 caravan arrived for the third weekend of the season with a sprint format. Verstappen had dominated the session, setting the fastest time in Q1 and Q2, with a lap that made his teammates and rivals blush. The Dutchman seemed unstoppable, especially after his convincing victory in the sprint race earlier in the day, where he benefited from a collision between McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. But in Q3, the crucial final part of qualifying, disaster struck – or almost, as it turned out.
With a few minutes left on the clock, Red Bull decided to keep Verstappen in the garage longer. The team expected his previous time of 1:32.510 to be enough for pole, and wanted to save tires for the final runs. But the calculations went horribly wrong. As the checkered flag approached, the realization dawned that Verstappen would no longer be able to get on track for a final attempt. In a frantic effort to save what could be saved, the team gave the green light for a late broadcast. Mechanics ran to the car, pit limits were ignored in the hustle and bustle of the day. Replays later showed a mechanic opening the garage door too quickly, with the tires still half-fastened. The car shot forward, but missed by a hair after colliding with a passing Marshalls bike that entered the pit lane in front of the flag.
“It was pure chaos,” Verstappen said afterwards in the press conference, his voice still trembling slightly from adrenaline. “I heard the radio: ‘Now, Max, now!’ I stepped on the gas, but felt the car skidding on the cold tires. That bike came out of nowhere – I saw it in my mirror, literally a meter away. If I had reacted a fraction later, we would have had a crash in the pits, in the middle of the live broadcast. That would not only have ruined my qualification, but also jeopardized the safety of the team. I’ve never experienced anything like this; it felt like a nightmare I was coming out of couldn’t wake up.”
Fans watched in amazement via the worldwide broadcast. On social media, the hashtag #RedBullMistake exploded, with thousands of messages ranging from concern to anger. “How could Red Bull let this happen? Max deserves better!” tweeted a prominent Formula 1 account, while others called on the FIA to investigate. The mistake was reminiscent of previous pit lane incidents, such as last year’s infamous tire change blunders, but this time the threat was more acute. Fortunately, it ended without damage: Verstappen’s earlier time held, and he took pole for Sunday’s feature race. Norris finished P2, with Charles Leclerc in P3, but the McLaren driver could not hide his frustration at the near disaster. “I saw it happen from the garage next to them. Heart attack,” said Norris.
At Red Bull there was a mixture of relief and self-criticism. Team boss Christian Horner called it “a human error in the heat of the moment” and promised an internal investigation. “We have already apologized to Yuki Tsunoda for a similar blunder in sprint qualifying, where he started P18 because we let him go too late. Now Max? That is unacceptable. But he is a professional; he turned it around into pole.” Indeed, the mistake with Tsunoda – which saw the Japanese miss a crucial lap – had already earned the team a €50,000 fine from the FIA, partly suspended but a clear warning. The stewards viewed the Verstappen incident footage and opted for a warning instead of punishment, arguing that “the driver was not to blame and safety was narrowly guaranteed.”
Verstappen himself remained calm, as always, but admitted that it affected him. “I’ve been driving for Red Bull for years, and this team is family. But moments like these remind you how thin the line is between success and disaster. I won in the sprint, I survived in qualifying. Now focus on the race: 56 laps full throttle, without excuses.” The Dutchman, who is now only 40 points behind Piastri in the championship, sees the victory in Austin as crucial. “With Norris and Leclerc behind me it will be a battlefield, but I like that pressure. This incident? It just makes me hungrier.”
The fans, who were initially shocked, proved resilient. Thousands in orange shirts filled the stands, chanting “Max, Max!” as he left the press conference. A supporter from the Netherlands, watching from the main stand, shared her story: “I held my breath. It was like time stood still. But Max? He laughs about it. That’s why we love him.” The near miss also sparked wider discussions about pit safety, with experts calling for stricter protocols, especially on sprint weekends where the pressure is high.
The main race is on the menu on Sunday, with Verstappen from pole. Will he turn Red Bull’s mistake into a triumph, or will disaster strike? Austin has already produced a legend: the day Max Verstappen not only took pole, but survived a garage error that shook the F1 world. At 700 words, this story is just the beginning of what promises to be an epic weekend. The engines roar, the fans cheer – and Verstappen? He is ready to flee, literally and figuratively.
