‘Annoyed’ Max Verstappen breaks silence on poor Miami GP qualifying, blames himself as luck favors Sergio Perez
Max Verstappen admits he made a mistake that cost him a good spot on the grid for the Miami GP.
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Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez. Image via F1.
Max Verstappen, the reigning world champion, admitted that he made a mistake on his first Q3 run in the Miami Grand Prix qualifying. The Red Bull star was quick throughout the practice sessions. He was also ahead of the others in Q1 and Q2. But due to an error, he had to abort his first run in Q3. It cost the Dutchman a good spot on the grid, and he will now start the race from P9.
Verstappen could not attempt another run because of Charles Leclerc’s crash that brought out the red flag. The 25-year-old was frustrated and called the incident unfortunate. His teammate Sergio Perez, on the other hand, earned the pole position. If Perez were to win the Grand Prix, he would lead the championship. However, Verstappen is a beast on track and would give it his all come Sunday.
Max Verstappen blamed himself for not doing a lap in Q3. He said it was very tricky and felt a bit of understeer. Hence, he had to abort his lap. The Red Bull driver hoped he could turn things around, but the red flag prevented him from doing so. He stated, “I’m still annoyed with myself, but I also know that tomorrow is a new day, a lot of things can happen.”
Max Verstappen does not think there is any point in being upset
Verstappen added, “It’s not ideal, but there’s also no point now to be super angry or upset about it. But you learn from it. You will do better again next time.” He admitted that they were quick throughout the weekend and would have easily secured the pole position. However, Verstappen was frustrated because he did not put it together where it mattered. It cost him a good spot on the grid.
Verstappen felt things could have been different if he had gone out early. The Red Bull driver said, “But at the end of the day, I make a mistake. We don’t plan of course on me making a mistake. Then of course, you’re like, ‘Okay, let’s go a little bit early, so we might have a clean run.’ I was still quite ahead of the few cars.”
The two-time world champion did not expect a red flag. However, he brushed it off by saying it is a street circuit, and these things happen. Verstappen is not the one to let one qualifying run ruin his mood. He is aware of the setbacks and understands it can’t be perfect all the time. The Red Bull star will give it his all to make a good recovery and get on the podium on Sunday.
In case you missed it:
- “Disappointed in myself,” Charles Leclerc upset over Miami GP qualifying crash
- “Didn’t believe in my performance,” Fernando Alonso throws shade at former team Alpine, claims he is better off at Aston Martin
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Sugantha Meena
(493 Articles Published)