P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Max Verstappen suffered an off during SQ3 ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix sprint, suffering hefty damage to his Red Bull.
Max Verstappen faced difficulties during qualifying for the Qatar Grand Prix Sprint race, landing in sixth place on the grid and being outperformed by his teammate for the first time this season. Yuki Tsunoda secured the fifth spot with Verstappen’s chances being hampered by a significant off-track incident at Turn 4 during the initial qualification runs. The crash had a detrimental effect on his ability to position himself higher up the grid and challenge his title contenders. Viaplay’s analysis of the incident highlighted damage to a crucial aerodynamic component, the t-tray located on the car’s floor which directs airflow for performance. As running the car as low to the ground as possible is vital for aerodynamic efficiency, the damage sustained by Verstappen’s car could have potentially impacted his race performance, as he anticipated moving down the field during the Sprint race.
