Max Verstappen has expressed his deep frustration following a rain-soaked and heavily delayed qualifying session at the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. The Red Bull Racing star revealed that he felt as though he had lost a significant portion of his life due to the heavy engine penalties imposed ahead of the weekend.
The reigning world champion is set to start from the back of the grid after his team fitted an entirely new power unit onto his RB22 machine. Despite knowing his fate regarding the back-of-the-grid start, the Dutchman still participated in the treacherous wet qualifying session, successfully reaching Q2 before choosing to sit out the remainder to preserve wet tyres for race day.
During the lengthy qualifying delays caused by torrential downpours that triggered an immediate red flag in Q1, Verstappen opted to kill time in the team garage by watching Premier League football. He noted that he caught the closing stages of the Nottingham Forest versus Manchester City fixture right before climbing back into his cockpit.
Reflecting on the unusual Saturday afternoon, Verstappen admitted that he could not enjoy the competitive running because he was not fighting for a representative grid slot. His mindset was already entirely focused on managing the upcoming race and extracting the best possible strategy from the back.
Looking ahead to Sunday's grand prix, Verstappen acknowledged that repeating a heroic charge through the field like in previous years will be exceptionally difficult. With strict limitations on overtaking modes and long straights where energy deployment is closely matched across the grid, he expects progress to be heavily restricted.
Read Also
Simak analisis mendalam mengapa George Russell gagal mengamankan waktu tercepat di kualifikasi GP Brasil akibat gangguan lalu lintas trek.
Charles Leclerc akhirnya buka suara terkait ketegangan internal di Ferrari usai GP Meksiko. Simak analisis lengkap dan berita paddock di sini.
Simak analisis lengkap pemenang dan pesakitan kualifikasi GP Brasil 2026 di Interlagos, mulai dari amarah George Russell hingga kejayaan Lando Norris.
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!