Red Bull Racing star Max Verstappen has vented his frustration after being handed a back-of-the-grid penalty for the Brazilian Grand Prix at the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace. The four-time world champion was forced to accept the sanction after the team fitted an entirely new power unit onto his RB22 car, effectively dashing his hopes of fighting at the front.
Amid torrential rain that disrupted proceedings at Interlagos, the qualifying session was delayed by over an hour and immediately red-flagged in Q1. Spending the lengthy delay locked inside the garage, the Dutch driver revealed he resorted to watching Premier League football to pass the time before jumping back into his cockpit.
"Nottingham Forest against Manchester City was the last match I watched before getting into the car. It was 3-1, and I actually saw a great goal just before getting back in," Max Verstappen told media including Motorsport.com in Brazil. "But I am starting last anyway, so it doesn't matter. I have lost 12 hours of my life today that I'll never get back."
Although he took part in the rain-soaked session and reached Q2, Max Verstappen ultimately chose to sit out the remainder of the running to preserve wet tyres ahead of Sunday's anticipated wet race. Asked if he managed to enjoy any aspect of the chaotic session, he offered a candid assessment of his mindset.
"Not really, because I'm not fighting for anything," he stated. "My mind is already set on tomorrow, so it was just about doing a lap, not risking anything. Every lap that I did, we were up there, but for me that's not a surprise."
Starting the grand prix from 21st on the grid—one spot behind Scuderia Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton—Max Verstappen does not expect to replicate his stunning charge from 17th to victory achieved in Sao Paulo previously. He pointed out that contemporary aerodynamic regulations and the long straights of Interlagos will severely restrict overtaking opportunities.
"It was possible to fight back in the past, but now we don't have DRS anymore. And the overtake mode is very limiting around here, because of the long straight," Max Verstappen explained. "Everyone is draining the battery, so your speed difference on the straight is going to be a lot less. It will be a bit like Mexico really, so it will be quite a lot harder to pass than normal."
At the sharp end of the grid, McLaren charger Lando Norris secured pole position for Sunday's 71-lap encounter. The Briton will share the front row with newly crowned world champion Kimi Antonelli, who put in an impressive performance for Mercedes during the treacherous wet qualifying session.
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