P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Max Verstappen admitted his lackluster sixth-place qualification in Baku is down to ill-advised setup changes made before qualifying. Sixth is Verstappen’s second-worst qualifying result of the sea…
Max Verstappen acknowledged that his disappointing sixth-place qualifying performance in Baku was caused by unwise setup changes made before the session. This result was his second-worst of the season, with his previous poor showing being in Monaco. Surprisingly, it was the first time since Miami last year that Verstappen was outqualified by his teammate, Sergio Perez. Despite a positive practice lead-up, Red Bull Racing did not demonstrate the expected speed during qualifying, leaving Verstappen off the pace and struggling with an unpredictable car. Verstappen attributed the difficulties to setup tweaks that rendered the car almost undrivable, preventing him from confidently pursuing a competitive lap time. While disappointed by the outcome, Verstappen acknowledged the team’s progress since their poor performance in Italy and remains focused on optimizing their setup for future races. Additionally, the significant gap in qualifying results between Verstappen and his championship rival Lando Norris presents an opportunity for Verstappen to further solidify his title lead without needing an exceptional performance. Despite the challenges, Verstappen emphasized his commitment to performing at his best regardless of the championship implications.
