Max Verstappen is not dissatisfied with his second place in qualifying for the Spanish GP. The Red Bull driver had to tolerate only Charles Leclerc on Saturday at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
Verstappen tried to dive below Charles Leclerc’s 1.18.750 with a last run, but was unable to finish his lap. After the Dutchman turned on, he indicated over the on-board radio that he had no power. Then Verstappen immediately broke off his lap.
“It’s hard to say if I would have taken pole if we hadn’t had any problems,” said 24-year-old Verstappen. “I couldn’t finish my last lap and suddenly lost a lot of power. It seems my DRS was not working.”
Due to Verstappen’s problems, pole position was not endangered for Leclerc, who saw his teammate Carlos Sainz (1.19.166) record the third fastest time. Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Pérez (1.19.420) clocked the fifth time.
“It is a shame, but in general it is still a good performance that we are here on the front row. Although I would of course have wanted to finish that last lap,” said Verstappen, who himself did not go further than 1.19.073 .
Max Verstappen at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
Max Verstappen at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Photo: Getty Images
Verstappen: ‘Can also wait for a chance’
Despite the problems, Verstappen is pleased with the speed of the car. “Our race pace is pretty good,” he says. “I think Ferrari has found some lap time thanks to their updates. We don’t have much news here.”
“The start could be crucial tomorrow, but when I took the lead last year, I didn’t win in the end. If I can’t take the lead right away, I’ll wait for my chance.”
The Spanish Grand Prix starts on Sunday at 3 p.m. Verstappen starts the race in Spain nineteen points behind World Cup leader Charles Leclerc.