“I had High Hopes” – Max Verstappen Laments Missing Pole Position at COTA

Max Verstappen expressed his disappointment after missing out on pole position for Sunday’s United States Grand Prix. Speaking to the media, Verstappen pointed out that the sudden lack of balance and grip in Q3 left him baffled. He qualified second, trailing championship leader Kimi Antonelli by 0.179 seconds.

“In Q2, it was really good,” Verstappen told Motorsports Week. “I mean, I did my fast lap in Q2, just on a used set. So, when I went to Q3, I had high hopes, but unfortunately, yeah, it just felt bad.”

The Red Bull Star revealed why he was unable to deliver the lap he had hoped for in the final session. Despite qualifying second, the result didn’t match his expectations as the Dutchman had a promising performance throughout the day.

“Like, I just didn’t really have the grip that I wanted. So, I couldn’t lean on the rear that I wanted in the final sector, and it just cost me too much time,” he said.

“Of course, when you look at the sheets, and you’re starting P2, it’s nice, and it’s a good result. But I was hoping for more, and this was just not it.”

Max Verstappen Refuses to Celebrate P2 Result

The four-time world champion had high expectations heading into the final qualifying session after showing strong pace all the way through Q2. Throughout the practice sessions, Verstappen was right up there on the timing sheets and gave a tough fight to his rivals, finishing no lower than third in any of the three pre-qualifying sessions.

However, the struggle to find the grip in the final part of qualifying cost him valuable time in his bid for pole.

“But if it’s a, let’s say, not a great feeling in qualifying, then that’s a P2. There’s no need to then smile and be super happy about it,” Verstappen said.

Max Verstappen Laments COTA’s Bumpy Track Surface

Ahead of the United States Grand Prix, Verstappen had openly criticised the bumpy surface of Circuit of the Americas, referencing the bumps observed in the recent World Endurance Championship (WEC).

“You can also see the track conditions. From what I saw in the WEC, the circuit was extremely bumpy,” the Dutchman noted.

“I’m not really looking forward to that, to be honest, for your spine. I was joking about that in the last race, but it’s not really a joke, to be honest, because we mentioned this already for years that it’s actually getting a bit out of control.

Max Verstappen also revealed that the lower part of his spine doesn’t look good after medical checkups; that’s why he is concerned about COTA’s surface.

Given the extremely wide first corner, which is notorious for some early first-lap drama, there is still a decent chance Verstappen can find himself in the lead by the end of it.

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Written by

Yash Soni

Yash Soni is a Formula 1 writer with over four years of experience in digital sports journalism. He specializes in F1 news, race analysis, team updates, and paddock stories. With a strong focus on accuracy, research, and SEO-driven storytelling, he aims to deliver engaging and informative coverage that keeps motorsport fans up to date with the latest developments in Formula 1.

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