Max Verstappen expressed his frustration on Saturday after the qualifying round for the Singapore Grand Prix, particularly with his good friend Lando Norris. The Dutch driver, who finished second behind George Russell, claimed that he was hindered in the final round by the McLaren driver. “It’s a shame, because otherwise I would have been close to pole,” he said.
Verstappen had to abort his lap when he ended up in the dirty air of Norris. This happened in the last few turns, while the McLaren driver was heading to the pits. However, this was done so slowly that his Dutch friend was affected. “That’s what happens when someone in front of you is cruising for two seconds. We’ll remember that,” Verstappen said in an initial reaction after the qualifying round. “Who was it? Not Oscar,” he hinted, referring to the incident with the McLaren car.
Verstappen was, however, pleased to have outperformed that same Oscar, namely Oscar Piastri. The Australian championship leader will start from P3. This gives Verstappen a chance to catch up on points. Perhaps he can even outmaneuver polesitter Russell in the battle for victory in Singapore on Sunday. Verstappen: “The car is good, we are competitive. So in the end, I can also be happy with the second place.”
