Max Verstappen qualified P4 for the Miami GP’s Sprint Race, working around Red Bull’s “limitations” with the Miami heat and the Sprint Weekend Format.
The reigning World Champion starts the Sprint Race in fourth with a qualifying lap time of 1:26.737, briefly holding Provisional Sprint Pole until Sprint Pole sitter, Andrea Kimi Antonelli the top spot, the youngest pole sitter in any format in Formula 1.
Team-mate Yuki Tsunoda was unable to make it out of SQ1, setting a lap time of 1:29.246 missing out on a final push lap. With Verstappen starting P4 and Tsunoda starting P18, the Milton Keynes based team will be pushing hard for a result during the 19-lap Sprint Race at the Miami GP.
On track limitations
The Dutchman, while speaking to the media, said he was dealing with “a lot of understeer” on the low-speed corners of the Miami International Autodrome .
“I think what we also did in Q3 was also good, the tyres are holding on quite well but unfortunately, already from FP1, I’m just struggling with a lot of understeer in the car and around here with all the low speed corners you just lose quite a bit of lap time,” Verstappen said after Sprint Qualifying.
“I think you can see in the first sector we are quite competitive because that is where the high speed corners are, but as soon as you get to the low speed [corners] we lack quite a bit of grip.”
Getting ahead of limitations
Verstappen alluded to the Miami GP’s heat and race weekend format as his limitations he has “to try and make the best of it.” With limited data with only one free practice session and the on track heat, the World Champion is content with a P4 Sprint start.
“But P4 is alright. Of course it is not where I want to be but you have to be a bit realistic with the limitations that we have at the moment and I think it was still quite close.”
“Honestly it is very difficult to say [if we can fight the front runners] in the Sprint weekend as there is no real proper data in long runs because you don’t know what others are doing with fuel loads and stuff.”
“But just going off my own feeling, balance-wise with the car, I think it will be tough with the heat. Like I said, we know our limitations, so we have to try and make the best of it.”
