Max Verstappen has described his Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix qualifying session as "a disaster" after finishing only eighth, 1.5 seconds behind pole-sitter George Russell. The Red Bull driver revealed a series of technical issues that ruined his chances of securing pole position at the Baku City Circuit.
Verstappen had shown promise by topping FP3 and was considered the biggest threat to Russell. However, that form did not carry over into qualifying. "I was just lacking top speed, like half a second in just top speed compared to my team-mate," he told Sky F1. "The engine was just not working. So, that's one problem."
The problems didn't stop there. In Q3, Verstappen suffered a battery charging failure on his build lap, meaning he started his flying lap with only half a battery. "Then, in Q3, in the build lap my battery didn't charge, so then you start the lap with half a battery. So, then you abort, you lose temperature because you don't have enough power. Then it snowballs into the final lap," he explained.
On his final lap, Verstappen encountered further issues with top speed, a yellow flag, and insufficient tyre temperature. "I started the lap, but again the top speed, a yellow flag in my lap, not enough tyre temperature, and that's where you are," he added. As a result, he had to settle for eighth on the grid, while his team-mate Isack Hadjar, returning from a hand injury, impressed with fourth place.
Asked about his chances of recovering to fight for the podium, Verstappen said, "I have no idea. We were in a really good place the whole weekend, and then we had a disaster in qualifying because we had a lot of issues. So, let's see what we can do."
Verstappen is a former winner at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, having won in 2022 and again last year. However, he admitted he struggled with his car bouncing "like a kangaroo" during the sessions. Despite having good speed throughout the weekend, the technical issues and incidents in qualifying mean he will have to work hard from the back of the grid.
Starting from eighth, Verstappen faces a tough challenge to make up ground on the narrow and demanding Baku street circuit. The Red Bull team must quickly find solutions to the engine and battery problems if they want to keep Verstappen's championship hopes alive this season.
Baca Juga
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