P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Max Verstappen was left frustrated after a tough qualifying session at the F1 Austrian Grand Prix, but despite Red Bull being “miles off” the pace of the front-runners, he insisted it “wasn’t painful” to miss out on pole.
Max Verstappen expressed frustration following a challenging qualifying session at the Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix, where Red Bull significantly lagged behind the front-runners, but he maintained that missing out on pole position wasn’t a source of deep disappointment. Despite his efforts, Verstappen secured seventh place in the Saturday qualifying session, matching his worst result for the season from Bahrain. He faced a gap of over six tenths to Lando Norris after his initial Q3 run, settling for sixth place. Unfortunately, his final attempt was disrupted by yellow flags caused by Pierre Gasly’s spin at the last corner, hindering his performance. Adding to his woes, Liam Lawson’s Racing Bulls managed to overtake him, nudging him down one position at Red Bull’s home track, the Red Bull Ring. Verstappen acknowledged the difficulties he encountered, emphasizing the struggle to challenge for pole position, yet remained optimistic, focusing on performing his best during the race weekend and hoping for competitive showings against Ferrari and Mercedes. Despite the balance issues that hampered his performance in qualifying, Verstappen aimed to analyze and address these limitations ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix for a stronger race day showing.
