Max Verstappen made a mistake in the final part of qualifying for the Miami Grand Prix, abandoning the first fast lap and was unable to complete the second due to a stoppage caused by Charles Leclerc.
Today, the Dutchman will have a tough race, which he will start from ninth place, while his teammate at Red Bull, Sergio Perez, will start it from the best starting point.
Despite the difficult task, the two-time world champion believes that he can make it all the way to second place in the race. "We were unlucky," he said after qualifying. "The fact that we didn't set a time is my fault. At the exit of the sixth corner, I drove a little off the ideal line. I felt understeer and couldn't get back on the line, so I stopped the lap.
Sometimes luck is also required and you have to hope that there will be no interruption. But when you think like that, that's exactly what happens. I'm a bit annoyed by that, because we were very fast all weekend. The lap time in Q2 was already fast enough for pole position, which only proves that we have a very fast car. But you have to put all the pieces together there and when it matters and I failed to do that. So I'm mad at myself, but I know Sunday is another day and a lot can happen in the race. Starting ninth isn't ideal, but there's no point in getting mad about it. I have to learn a lesson from this and do better next time.”
Verstappen admitted that he could decide to take another one after the aborted first round. "Looking back now, we could have approached things differently and taken the round earlier. But at the end of the day, I made a mistake, and we don't plan to do that. I'm also angry because they could have taken one lap, just enough to set a time. We all drive on the limit and even a small mistake can get you out of the game and that's what happened to me today.
But I also know that the championship is not yet decided on Sunday, and this is not the first time I am in such a position. Sometimes you run into problems, but that doesn't mean you have them all year round. Not every weekend can go completely flawless, even if you hope for it.”
The current world champion in Miami is using a new gearbox, which is why he is already close to the penalty for using an additional one.
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