Max Verstappen, the Red Bull driver and title contender, expressed his frustration after a mistake in Q3 left him stranded in ninth on the grid for the Miami Grand Prix. Verstappen had sailed through Q1 and Q2 at the head of the times, but he made an error on his first run in Q3 and had to abort it, leaving him at risk of remaining in that position should a red flag interrupt his second attempt. Unfortunately, that's exactly what happened after Charles Leclerc crashed his Ferrari. Despite his disappointment, Verstappen tried to remain upbeat, stating that he expected to recover to a "minimum P2."
Verstappen admitted that he was "annoyed with myself" for the mistake he made in Q3, but he also acknowledged that tomorrow is a new day, and a lot of things can happen. He emphasized that he wasn't going to let the qualifying disappointment get to him, and he expected to achieve a minimum of P2 in Sunday's race.
Verstappen's frustration was exacerbated by the fact that his Red Bull teammate and title rival, Sergio Perez, earned pole position. Verstappen's Q2 lap was fast enough even for pole in Q3, which already says that Red Bull has a very quick car. However, Verstappen acknowledged that they need to put it together where it matters, and they didn't. He admitted that the team could have done things differently, but at the end of the day, he made a mistake.
Verstappen stressed that setbacks happen, and he's been in this position before. He knows that the championship isn't won tomorrow, and he's not going to let this qualifying disappointment carry on for the rest of the year. He hopes to nail a few bits himself and do better next time.
