Red Bulls Verstappen labels car undriveable following Japan GP issues

Max Verstappen’s Red Bull Struggles Continue at Suzuka

Max Verstappen qualified 11th for Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix, marking another challenging start to the season. The four-time world champion expressed frustration with his car, describing it as “undriveable” in qualifying. Verstappen has struggled with consistency since the season opener in Australia, where he crashed out of Q3.

Verstappen attributed his struggles to the car’s handling, stating that it oversteers on entry and understeers on exit. He noted that despite improvements made during third practice, the issues persisted in qualifying. The Dutchman also mentioned that he has difficulty explaining the problems with his car, citing a lack of detail.

In contrast, Mercedes drivers Kimi Antonelli and George Russell secured a 1-2 finish at Suzuka, with Antonelli taking pole position. The 19-year-old Italian became the youngest pole-sitter in F1 history two weeks ago in China, repeating the feat on Sunday. Russell finished second, just 0.298 seconds behind Antonelli.

Mercedes have claimed one-two finishes at both grands prix so far this season, with their dominance evident in dry conditions at Suzuka. Antonelli praised his session, describing it as “really clean,” while acknowledging that there is still work to be done to optimize the car’s performance on big tracks.

Russell struggled with his car during qualifying, admitting that something didn’t feel right. He expressed hope for improvements and a possible adjustment in driving style to compensate for the issues. The British driver finished sixth in Melbourne and retired from the Chinese Grand Prix two weeks ago.

Source: Al Jazeera