P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Max Verstappen was fuming with the Formula 1 race direction after a double Q2 exit for Red Bull in qualifying for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix amid a delayed red flag.
During Sunday morning’s qualifying session, treacherous conditions led to multiple red flag stoppages and brought about challenges for several drivers. In Q1, Franco Colapinto of Williams and Carlos Sainz of Ferrari both triggered red flags, while it was Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll causing the issue in Q2. Verstappen was notably frustrated by the delay in waving the red flag for Stroll’s incident, expressing his discontent with the situation to Sky Sports F1. Despite the controversy, the race direction eventually halted the session as Stroll struggled to restart his car, determining that a red flag was necessary. Verstappen’s 12th place finish in Q2, coupled with a grid penalty, will see him starting from 17th for the Grand Prix at Interlagos, presenting a challenge to his championship defense against Lando Norris.