Max Verstappen talks about a strange Red Bull problem after a tough qualifying at the Canadian Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen shared why he had a tough day at the Canadian Grand Prix, blaming a strange problem with his Red Bull car.
The four-time Formula 1 Champion started Saturday’s Sprint race in Montreal from seventh place, after a frustrating qualifying session.
At first, the 28-year-old looked like he could get pole position, finishing the first part of qualifying in third. But in the second part, he struggled and ended up slower.
In the fight for Sprint pole, George Russell beat his teammate Kimi Antonelli, turning the tables on the hot-performing Italian.
In the final part of qualifying, Verstappen secured seventh place, about half a second behind pole-sitter Russell.
Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in the McLarens took third and fourth, while Lewis Hamilton just beat Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc for fifth.
Verstappen said he wasn’t surprised by the result because of a strange issue with his car. He explained that his feet kept slipping off the pedals during the session, which made it hard to drive well.
“My feeling in the car wasn’t great. The bumps made it really tough, and I couldn’t keep my foot on the pedal,” he said. “My feet were even flying off, so it was tough to be consistent. We need to look into that.”
Because the cars are in parc fermé now, Red Bull can’t fix the problem before the Sprint race, so Verstappen has to deal with it.
He also mentioned there were no big improvements between practice and Sprint qualifying. “We’re stuck with the issue for the Sprint, but hopefully we’ll figure it out in time for qualifying,” he added.
Verstappen’s younger teammate, Isack Hadjar, who was disqualified in Miami for a similar strange Red Bull problem, qualified eighth and starts on the fourth row.
When asked if Red Bull will make changes between the Sprint and the main qualifying session later, Verstappen wasn’t sure. “I don’t know, we’ll see,” he said, still a bit disappointed after struggling in the earlier rounds this season.