Max Verstappen reflects on a disastrous qualifying round in São Paulo. The reigning champion, once so invincible at Interlagos, was eliminated as early as Q1. Starting from the sixteenth position is a severe blow to his title chances, especially as rival Lando Norris starts from pole position. At Red Bull, alarm bells are ringing; the team is considering drastic modifications to the RB21 – which could potentially result in a penalty for Verstappen.
No matter how many times he tried, Verstappen failed to break into the top fifteen in the first qualifying session. The Dutchman eventually fell short by 0.066 seconds to Nico Hülkenberg and had to leave the battlefield as one of the first dropouts. “I can’t understand how a car can be this bad,” he responded in disbelief. The sixteenth starting position is a low point for Verstappen, who has never – based on his own speed – been eliminated in Q1.
At Red Bull, they now have little to lose, which is why the team is considering major adjustments to the RB21. Top advisor Helmut Marko did not mince words with Austrian ORF. “We now have to look at what we do with this situation,” he stated. “Whether we, for example, make major changes again. That would mean we have to start the Grand Prix from the pit lane. We now need to sit down calmly together to determine what the best option is.”
Is Red Bull Cursed?
During the qualifying round, Yuki Tsunoda drove with a setup that Verstappen had previously tested during the sprint race. This backfired. The results were worse than ever, admitted Marko. “At first, we were only occasionally slow,” he continued grimly. “Now it’s constant. We used to lose time in sector two, now it’s everywhere. It was as if we were cursed – the drivers felt no grip at all.” According to Marko, the problems lay in the setup and tire choice. “These tires are a mystery to us. George Russell is faster on medium tires than on soft ones. Others post faster times on used tires than on new ones.”
The question now is to what extent Red Bull will modify the RB21 for the Grand Prix. Verstappen is already on the brink of a grid penalty in terms of engine components. If the team decides to install a new power unit, the Dutch driver indeed faces a penalty. A drastic change in the setup could also condemn him to a start from the pit lane. However, Red Bull seems to have little to lose. A radical intervention seems likely, especially as Verstappen is already close to an engine change. Both Tsunoda and Gabriel Bortoleto are also expected to start from the pit lane – an additional reason to take the gamble.
