Verstappen: Being outqualified by Ricciardo no big deal
Max Verstappen says his qualifying struggles since he joined Red Bull have been overblown, and magnified by the fact he’s now partnering renowned one-lap specialist Daniel Ricciardo.
The Dutchman has yet to outqualify Ricciardo in their five races together as teammates, having made the step up from Toro Rosso ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix.
While praising Verstappen's race performances – which have included a win on his debut with the Milton Keynes squad in Barcelona and second place in Austria – team boss Christian Horner recently suggested that qualifying is an area where the 18-year-old could up his game.
But, speaking to media at Silverstone, Verstappen said that he has suffered misfortune in the last two qualifying sessions, and that to qualify close behind Ricciardo was an achievement in itself.
"You shouldn't forget I'm driving next to someone who's really quick [Ricciardo], so it's a different approach," he said. "I have to up my game compared to Toro Rosso.
"He is really on top of [qualifying], but he's had some struggles in the race. That's my part [where I excel], I think. I just need to find to make it a bit better in qualifying.
"But it's not dramatic, I'm one [place] behind him, or another one behind. I've been a bit unlucky as well.
"There were the red flags in Baku, and then in Austria, in my Q2 run there was something odd going on with my recharge mode, and I arrived on the straight with much less power.
"It's all going pretty well [with qualifying], it's just not showing yet in the results."
Race pace set-up
Verstappen was also eager to highlight the fact that only qualifying eighth in Austria didn't prevent him from moving up to the runner-up spot in the race to score the second podium finish of his career.
Asked if he has been gearing his set-up more towards race pace at the expense of speed over a single lap, he said: "Definitely, you always try to get the best possible car on Sunday, because that's when you get the points.
"You want to be quick over one lap to get a reasonable starting position, but I started eighth, I finished second.
"So if you have a good car in the race, you can overtake, instead of struggling with the tyres and just trying to hang on."
Share Or Save This Story
Sho Tsuboi calls for Super Formula engine overhaul as Toyota “can’t properly compete with Honda”
Super Formula Sugo: Igor Fraga livid as safety car gifts Nirei Fukuzumi victory
How a Le Mans winner is changing the game for female racing in Japan
Why Max Verstappen isn’t buying the hype over a Red Bull surprise in Madrid
Max Verstappen makes Red Bull seat joke after Robin Raikkonen signing: "Maybe I'll move aside"
The hidden benefit of Max Verstappen’s new F1 deal that Red Bull wants to exploit
“I f***ed up quite a lot”: How Yuki Tsunoda discovered the complexity of F1 2026 at Monza
Insider reveals how Red Bull’s billion-dollar Porsche deal collapsed
What Max Verstappen’s big deal means for his future, Red Bull and F1
Ferrari "too late" to prioritise Lewis Hamilton in F1 title fight, says Jolyon Palmer
F1 Spanish GP: George Russell tops FP1 as Lewis Hamilton impedes several drivers
James Hinchcliffe warns Fred Vasseur faces "tremendous" pressure over Ferrari team orders
George Russell 'overanalysing everything' as Kimi Antonelli extends F1 lead, says former driver
What F1's risky Madrid bet needs to get right in order to pay off
The deeper meaning of Vettel’s emotional Schumacher demo run at Monza
Why new Madrid F1 circuit will be a "challenging" test of cars and engines
Lewis Hamilton and Fred Vasseur recall GP2 title and 'most impressive race ever', 20 years on
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments