Verstappen had a difficult time in Baku qualifying
Max Verstappen endured another difficult Formula 1 qualifying session in Baku, and the Dutchman will start Sunday’s race in sixth place – two spots behind Red Bull team mate Sergio Perez.
Verstappen was generally happier with the car over the weekend after a floor tweak since Monza. However, a last minute set-up change for qualifying made the car worse again.
He still managed to top the times in Q2, but the final session proved difficult, and he made a mistake on his first run.
“It’s always difficult to know of course what will happen in Q3,” he said when asked by this writer if he’d expected more after being fastest in Q2.
“But as soon as I went out in Q1 the first lap, I just felt the car took a step back. We made some changes, and the car just became incredibly unpredictable, difficult, just because of the changes that we made.
“And of course I’m a bit disappointed with that, because you always try to, of course, optimise things and try to make it better. And unfortunately, we just tipped it over the edge.
“Yeah, a shame that that happened into qualifying. Then, of course, my first one in Q3 I lost it in the last corner. Otherwise, you’re still fighting for P2, P3, but then you still have a run, you can still improve your lap time.
“And yeah, just didn’t have the feeling in the car. I didn’t feel comfortable, because the car was difficult.
“And when you don’t feel comfortable and you can’t attack corners, you’re probably a bit under it. And yeah, that’s what’s going to happen.”
Asked if the car was still the “monster” that he described in Monza he denied that was the case.
“No, no, I think what we did improve the car. But now with the setup we tried to of course make a few things better, and unfortunately, it went the other way.
“We changed change some things on the car, where the car just started jumping around a lot, so you lose contact patch with the tarmac.
“I was not happy with the car, already from lap one Q1, so I knew that it was going to be tough qualifying regardless.
“I think my lap in Q2 was actually good, considering all the issues that I had, because personally, I was not happy with how the car was behaving. But of course, you still tried to do the best you can.”
Regarding what has been improved he said: “I think the balance disconnect, but I think naturally it’s any way the track for it.
“But yeah, we’re still working and fine tuning that further from now onwards, to try and just get the balance disconnect more together. Let’s say like that.”
Adam Cooper F1 