Max Verstappen vented his frustration after qualifying for the Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix at the Baku City Circuit. The Red Bull driver had to settle for eighth on the grid, far from expectations after showing strong pace in FP3.
Verstappen looked like a potential polesitter after setting the fastest time in the third practice session. However, issues with the RB22's power unit, developed with Ford, robbed him of competitiveness in qualifying. He was even outqualified by teammate Isack Hadjar, who will start the race from fourth.
Verstappen's frustration peaked when he had to abort a lap in Q3 because the battery was not fully charged. "The whole qualifying the engine didn't work," he said. "We made an adjustment to the car which also wasn't completely positive. Compared to my teammate, I was already half a second short on the straights. And then in Q3 you want to push in the middle lap, suddenly the battery wasn't full, doesn't charge, doesn't work, and then they tell me: you have to push with half a battery."
With a frustrated tone, Verstappen added, "I say yeah, f**k off. I was really completely done with it. You prepare so well for the whole weekend, the car is going well, and then everything falls apart in qualifying, there is nothing you can do about that anymore."
The engine issues also affected tyre performance. "After that lap that I had to abort because the battery was only half full, the tyres cooled down too much, you can't push because it doesn't work, so you can't get enough temperature into those tyres," he explained. "So also in that final lap just not the right grip, and the same problem with the engine, the engine braking which is very strange; it's as if you sometimes pull the handbrake in certain corners. So yeah, something is seriously wrong."
Verstappen now faces a fight from eighth on the grid in Saturday's race. The Baku circuit, where he dominated last year with a lights-to-flag victory, is now a daunting challenge. He will need to overtake many cars to achieve a strong result.
Meanwhile, George Russell capitalised on an incident involving Andrea Kimi Antonelli to take pole position. This dramatic qualifying session leaves Verstappen with a big task: to fix the engine performance and race strategy.
Baca Juga
Esteban Ocon gagal ke Q3 di Grand Prix Azerbaijan akibat yellow flag. Ia mengungkapkan frustrasi dan kekecewaannya setelah melalui musim penuh rintangan bersama Haas.
Lando Norris kesulitan kecepatan puncak di kualifikasi F1 Baku. Masalah injeksi bahan bakar dan defisit dari Mercedes jadi sorotan McLaren.
Carlos Sainz dan Sergio Perez dijatuhi penalti grid di GP Baku. Sainz turun 5 posisi, Perez 3 posisi. Simak dampaknya bagi balapan.
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