Max Verstappen in Shock After Red Bull’s Catastrophic Qualifying: “I Can’t Understand How It Was This Bad!”
Formula 1 fans were left reeling as Max Verstappen, the reigning champion, expressed his bewilderment following an astonishingly poor qualifying session at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. Red Bull Racing experienced their worst qualifying performance since 2006, with both Verstappen and his teammate Yuki Tsunoda crashing out in the first qualifying round — a nightmare scenario that has not unfolded for the team in 17 years.
Verstappen, who found himself languishing in a shocking 16th position on the grid, faced the grim reality that his quest for a fifth consecutive drivers’ title could be slipping between his fingers. “It was just bad. I couldn’t push at all,” Verstappen lamented to Sky Sports F1, revealing that his car felt unpredictable and difficult to handle. “The car was all over the place, sliding around a lot. I had to under-drive it a lot just to not have a moment. That of course doesn’t work in qualifying.”
This catastrophic qualifying outcome raises serious questions as both Red Bulls failed to make it past Q1 for the first time since the introduction of the current qualifying format. With championship rival Lando Norris seizing pole position for McLaren and extending his lead over Verstappen to an alarming 39 points, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
Verstappen’s teammate, Yuki Tsunoda, who is no stranger to qualifying struggles, joined him in an early exit. The duo’s dismal performance has left fans and pundits scratching their heads in disbelief, especially considering Red Bull’s recent form. “We first have to analyse what is going on. I don’t really understand how it can be this bad, so that’s more important for us to understand at the moment,” Verstappen insisted, hinting at the urgent need for a deeper investigation into the team’s shocking performance.
Red Bull’s team principal, Laurent Mekies, admitted that significant setup changes made prior to qualifying backfired spectacularly. “Obviously nobody expected something like that,” Mekies stated, reflecting on the disappointment of the day. “We have been unhappy with the car pretty much since we got here. Nonetheless, we were at the point where we could not fight for the win, but we could fight with the group just after. It’s fair to say we took some risk before qualifying to try to see if we could put the car in a better place and it obviously went in the opposite direction. It’s sometimes the price you pay when you take a risk.”
As the Sao Paulo Grand Prix approaches, the pressure mounts for Verstappen and Red Bull. With the championship hanging in the balance and just three races left after Brazil, the team must regroup and strategize to salvage their season. Fans will be eagerly tuning in as the drama unfolds, with the race broadcast scheduled for 5 PM local time. Will Verstappen rise from the ashes, or will this shocking setback define his season? Only time will tell.








