The fight for victory in the Formula 1 race in Saudi Arabia could be more exciting than expected. Because the big favorite Max Verstappen will only start the race on Sunday from 15th place on the grid.
A broken driveshaft threw a spanner in the works for the world champion in Q2, so he has a lot of work to do on Sunday if he also wants to win the second round of the 2023 season.
“It’s very annoying that that happened,” he said after the session on “Sky”. “So far we’ve had a good weekend and every session has been going pretty well. Every time we’ve been out on track the car has been working really well.”
Verstappen had easily dominated the first qualifying session with a lead of half a second, but was unable to set a time in Q2. On his fast lap, the Dutchman suddenly lost his drive after turn 10. Although he was able to roll into the pits with his car, he got out of the car and was eliminated.
The defect came as a surprise
“It’s super frustrating,” says team boss Christian Horner to “ORF”. “There were no signs of problems even before qualifying.”
It also came as a complete surprise to Verstappen himself: “So far we haven’t really had any problems with it,” he says. “But now it happened. We will analyze everything and want to understand why it happened.”
Before the session, Red Bull had already changed the gearbox on the car, but the Dutchman doesn’t necessarily see a connection: “I find it difficult to say whether it’s related, but usually not. I think it was just bad luck.”
In the end, however, there is 15th place. “Now it’s going to be a little more difficult to get back up front,” said the Red Bull driver. “It’s just about scoring points. The season is long. Of course I would have hoped to start a little further up, but we can’t change that.”
How soon will Verstappen reappear?
Should Verstappen still win tomorrow, it would be a win from his worst starting position. The previous record for the Red Bull driver is a win from 14th on the grid in the 2022 Formula 1 race at Spa-Francorchamps.
Most experts trust him to do the same tomorrow: “Well, with the speed he’s had all weekend, he’ll plow through there, and in the middle of the race we’ll see him on the podium,” says ex-driver Timo Glock ‘Sky’.
Verstappen himself knows about the strength of his car and has therefore not written off a good result: “Everything is possible on this track,” he says with a view to tomorrow. “We’ve seen a lot of crazy things, but we also have to be realistic. It’s going to be difficult, but we have good pace. We’ll definitely go up.”
“Obviously I’m disappointed that I didn’t have a proper qualifying session, but on the other hand I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”
Horner: Better to be unhappy today than tomorrow
Team-mate Sergio Perez, who secured pole position like last year, showed how good the Red Bull is. “It’s important for the team that ‘Checo’ is up front. That way we definitely have a good chance of bringing the race home,” said Verstappen.
Above all, on Sunday he has to make sure that he stays out of all the difficulties that can happen quickly, especially on a street circuit. That’s why Horner has already given out the tactics for the race: “First of all, don’t get involved in any incidents, survive the first lap – and safety cars could perhaps also play a role here,” he says.
“We have to do our best, keep our heads up and keep pushing, just like always,” said the Brit, who sees it positively: “I’d rather be unhappy today than tomorrow.”