P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Max Verstappen says everything “just fell apart” in qualifying for the Austrian GP, as his Red Bull F1 team suspected higher temperatures derailed its hopes of challenging McLaren
Max Verstappen expressed his disappointment after qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix, stating that things “just fell apart” for Red Bull due to high track temperatures hindering their performance against McLaren.
Despite being initially seen as McLaren’s main rival, Verstappen’s pace declined as temperatures rose above 45°C, leading to him finishing seventh on the grid.
During qualifying, Verstappen had grip and balance issues, with his final lap being compromised by yellow flags following Pierre Gasly’s incident.
Verstappen acknowledged that small setup changes unexpectedly affected the car’s balance, causing their performance to deteriorate significantly.
Red Bull theorized that the elevated track temperatures pushed their car out of the optimal balance window, impacting their overall competitiveness.
Although hoping for better race performance, Verstappen remained doubtful about their chances of significant progress due to the challenging qualifying session.
