Max Verstappen expressed his frustration with the “terrible” feeling he experienced in his Red Bull car during Sprint qualifying at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. The Dutch driver managed to secure only the sixth-fastest time, spending most of his session voicing concerns about the car’s performance. Despite his struggles, Verstappen was able to match the pace of championship leader Lando Norris in the first and last sectors of the Interlagos circuit. However, he lost significant time in the challenging middle sector, ultimately placing him on the third row of the grid for Saturday’s short race.
After the session, Verstappen shared his doubts about the impact of the forecasted heavy rain and strong winds in Sao Paulo, stating, “There’s a lot of vibration in the car and significant ride issues, which is not ideal. We’re lacking grip in the middle sector, and it feels terrible. I’m struggling to get the car to turn, and I can’t rely on the rear tires. It’s disappointing, but it is what it is. We’re clearly missing something, and I don’t expect to suddenly improve drastically in wet conditions. We’ll see what happens tomorrow.”
Team adviser Helmut Marko echoed Verstappen’s concerns, casting doubt on the driver’s chances for a podium finish in the Sprint race unless the weather conditions change dramatically. When asked about Verstappen’s potential to reach the podium, Marko stated bluntly, “It must rain. Otherwise, there’s no chance.” He noted that while Red Bull hopes to enhance the car’s competitiveness for both Saturday’s qualifying and the main Grand Prix, their only hope for success in the Sprint lies in Verstappen’s ability to deliver an extraordinary performance. “In sectors one and three, we’re just fractions away from Norris, but we’re lacking grip in the middle sector where downforce is crucial, and we can’t fix that for the Sprint race. We’re hopeful we can make adjustments over the weekend to improve for the main race.”
Meanwhile, Lando Norris positioned himself strongly for maximum points in the Sprint, with his teammate and title contender Oscar Piastri starting from third place. They were joined on the front row by Kimi Antonelli, who delivered an impressive qualifying lap in his Mercedes, showcasing one of his best performances in Formula 1 to date.
