Max Verstappen laments ‘incredibly unpredictable’ RB20 after challenging Azerbaijan GP qualifying
Max Verstappen’s ongoing struggles with his RB20 struck again in qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen will start the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix from the third row, in sixth position, after his qualifying session was plagued by ongoing problems with his RB20.
The Red Bull Racing driver sounded exasperated as he told media that his car once again felt “incredibly unpredictable,” and that he was simply unable to eke out the performance he would need for a better starting position.
Max Verstappen: ‘I didn’t feel comfortable because the car was difficult’
Despite going quickest in Q2, Max Verstappen will start the Azerbaijan Grand Prix back in sixth position after his team made changes on his RB20 that resulted in an unstable car.
“As soon as I went out in Q1, the first lap, I just felt the car took a step back,” Verstappen told media after qualifying.
“We made some changes, and the car just became incredibly unpredictable, difficult, just because of the changes we made.”
Though the changes didn’t work for Verstappen, they seemed far better suited to Sergio Perez, who outqualified his teammate by securing a fourth-place starting position on the Azerbaijan Grand Prix grid.
But what exactly was going wrong for Verstappen? The Dutch driver said the changes made his car bouncy and unpredictable.
“The car just started jumping around a lot, so you lose that contact patch with the tarmac,” Verstappen said.
“I was not happy with the car. Already from lap 1, Q1, I knew that it was going to be a tough qualifying.
“I think my lap in Q2 was actually good considering all the issues that I had.”
Later, he added: “I think it’s quite clear that what we changed in the car after FP3 just tipped it over the edge with the bounce.”
More on Red Bull’s big changes in Azerbaijan:
Red Bull regain their wings as Baku data unearths big surprise package
Red Bull ready to pursue front wing solution as FIA clarity sought
“Of course I’m a bit disappointed with that,” he said of his RB20.
“You always try to optimize things and make it better, and unfortunately, we just tipped it over the edge. Shame that that happened into qualifying.
“My first run in Q3, I lost it in the last corner. Otherwise, you’re still fighting for P2, P3. You still have a run, you can still improve your lap time.”
As a result, Verstappen said that he “didn’t feel comfortable” due to how difficult the car was to drive.
Fascinatingly, though, the reigning World Champion had a few words of praise for the changes, saying, “I think we did improve the car, but now with the setup, we try to perfect it, make a few things better.
“Unfortunately, it went the other way.”
Some of the damage of the poor qualifying is mitigated thanks to Lando Norris, Verstappen’s biggest rival for the 2024 World Championship, being eliminated in the first round of qualifying. The McLaren driver will have a hard battle to fight just to make it to Verstappen’s starting position from his own of 17th place.
Still, it wasn’t enough to ease Verstappen’s conscience.
“I still want to do good myself, and today was a bad day,” he said.
Read next: Azerbaijan GP: Charles Leclerc on pole as Lando Norris suffers major championship blow
