Max Verstappen has confirmed a major setback ahead of Sunday's main event, accepting that he will start from the very back of the grid at the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace Interlagos. The tough decision was forced upon the Red Bull Racing squad following a necessary power unit change on the championship leader's car.
The announcement was made official on Saturday afternoon after the reigning world champion struggled with persistent engine braking and clutch issues during Friday's practice sessions. Because of the timing, the qualifying session effectively lost all sporting relevance for the Dutchman, who was guaranteed to line up last regardless of his single-lap pace.
Speaking to Viaplay, the star driver opened up about the tactical thinking behind the Milton Keynes-based team's decision to take the fresh components right here in South America.
"Qualifying doesn't really matter that much, to be honest," Verstappen said with a laugh. "I'm starting last anyway, because we have a new engine in the car. It makes sense that you'd go all out right away. That decision was made sometime after Friday's session, because we saw that it needed to be replaced."
While the 29-year-old is well-known for carving his way through the field during previous Brazilian Grands Prix, he made it clear that the novelty of recovery drives has long worn off, especially when battling against heavy competition from teams like Mercedes.
"At some point, you just get tired of it, right? Sure, it was fun, but I don't really want to do it here every year," he admitted. "Well, that's just how it is."
Looking ahead to the remainder of the weekend, Verstappen shrugged off the significance of Saturday's running entirely, treating it merely as a lengthy prelude to Sunday's arduous Grand Prix battle.
Read Also
Ralf Schumacher beri kritik keras terkait peluang Colton Herta ke F1 bersama Cadillac. Baca analisis mendalam dan update berita paddock di sini.
Sirkuit Interlagos resmi perpanjang kontrak Formula 1 hingga 2035. Baca analisis mendalam dan update lengkap seputar GP Sao Paulo di sini.
Formula 1 resmi memperpanjang kontrak GP Brasil di Interlagos hingga 2035. Simak analisis lengkap dan dampak ekonomi jangka panjang di sini.
Continue with Google
Discussion (0)
Join the Discussion!
Sign in easily to start commenting, replying, and interacting with other readers.
Latest Comments
No comments yet. Be the first!