Max Verstappen laments silly errors as he misses out on pole position at the US GP, calls it ‘unfortunate’

Max Verstappen did not had an outing to remember during the qualifying sesion of the US GP.

Max Verstappen laments silly errors as he misses out on pole position at the US GP, calls it ‘unfortunate’

Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc (Via IMAGO)

Max Verstappen, the reigning world champion, did not have the smoothest of outings during Friday’s qualifying session at the Circuit of the Americas. During the whole session, Verstappen was facing problems with one thing or the other, and while he was able to make it into Q3, he was only able to manage a P6 finish. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc took home the pole in the reigning champion’s absence.

Verstappen initially secured the provisional pole during the Q3 session, but his time was deleted as he left the track limits at Turn19. This incident dropped him down on the timing sheets, and after the session, he made it known that he committed a few errors that ultimately led to him finishing with a P6 starting position.

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"I knew in 19 it was going to be a close call. I had a little mistake in Turn One, so I had to really push for it in the rest of the lap. I didn't even understeer; I just tried to maximise the corner. I misjudged it by a little bit, but it is very fine margins when you are pushing to the limit."
Max Verstappen said, as reported by BBC Sport,

Looking at the reaction of the Dutchman, it is quite clear that while he is a bit disappointed, he has taken solace in the fact that he has the best car for the US GP.

"It is a bit unfortunate but it makes Sunday a bit more fun. It is not ideal but I have started further back (and still won). If you have a good pace, you will move forward."

Max Verstappen is the favorite to secure the win in Austin

While Max Verstappen will be starting his US GP exploits from P6 on the upcoming Sunday, he still is the favorite to triumph at the event. The RB19 has proved too mighty for the rest of the grid this year, and this is one of the main reasons why Verstappen has not sounded too dejected in the comments mentioned above.

Red Bull (Credits: Planet F1)
Max Verstappen (Credits: Planet F1)

Moreover, the 26-year-old has been in the form of the life during the ongoing campaign and is tipped by many as one of the favorites to win the race at the COTA circuit. There is a common belief in the F1 paddock that Verstappen would be at his best from the get-go during the 56-lap race and would easily tear through the grid.

However, despite all the backing, the race will not be like a walk in the park for Max Verstappen. Lando Norris and Leclerc have potent machinery underneath them as well, and considering this, they will not hesitate to get their elbows out when Verstappen is seen trying to get the better of them.