Verstappen Rules Out Title Hopes After Shock Brazil Qualifying
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen has effectively written off his Formula One championship chances after a disastrous qualifying session that left him 16th on the grid for Sunday’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
Key Takeaways
- Verstappen qualifies 16th for Sao Paulo GP, 39 points behind championship leader
- Red Bull driver admits title hopes are over after poor performance
- Team struggling with car issues they “don’t understand how to fix”
- McLaren’s Lando Norris takes pole position with teammate Oscar Piastri fourth
Championship Dreams Dashed
“I can forget about that,” Verstappen told reporters when asked about his championship prospects. The Dutchman, chasing a fifth successive world title, now sits third in the standings behind the McLaren duo.
When pressed if he genuinely believed his title hopes were over, Verstappen responded bluntly: “Yes, for sure. Where we are starting, that’s not going to work. And with these kind of performances, I mean, forget about it.”
Technical Troubles Continue
Verstappen had earlier finished fourth in the sprint race won by Norris, but the main qualifying session exposed deeper issues with the Red Bull car. The team struggled with grip at Interlagos and setup changes failed to deliver improvements.
“It’s just not been good. It seems like we don’t really understand why it’s going that way,” Verstappen admitted. “Definitely something is off and we don’t seem to understand how to fix it at the moment.”
Speaking to Sky Sports, he added: “It was just bad. I couldn’t push at all. The car was all over the place, sliding around a lot.”
No Repeat of 2023 Miracle
Despite winning last year’s Brazilian Grand Prix from 17th on the grid in what he called “one of his greatest races ever,” Verstappen dismissed any hopes of a repeat performance.
“Different circumstances,” he said, suggesting this year’s challenges are more fundamental.
Team Struggles Continue
Red Bull’s woes were compounded by Japanese teammate Yuki Tsunoda qualifying 19th, with only Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto behind him after the Brazilian crashed in the sprint and missed the qualifying session.
The result leaves Verstappen facing an almost impossible task to close the 39-point gap with just four races and one sprint remaining in the season.
