During the ‘Sprint Shootout’ qualifying for the sprint race, Max Verstappen secured the second fastest time, just behind Lando Norris. Verstappen admitted that taking risks during his single run in SQ3 was not an easy task.
“I wasn’t quite in my element during sector one and the first part of sector two,” Verstappen confessed. “I made a small mistake in turn two, causing the rear of the car to slip. Additionally, I was slower than desired in turn four. It’s always challenging when you have only one set of tires and you need to push to the limits. There’s a possibility for rewards, but today I fell slightly short.”
During his exit from the pit lane, Verstappen cleverly overtook several drivers to create a clear path for himself.
“This is the new rule. Slower drivers are expected to stay to the left, but I wanted to go fast, so I seized the opportunity to overtake multiple cars,” Verstappen explained.