Verstappen jokes: 'Very disappointed that Mercedes missed boat'

Max Verstappen had hoped for the pole position, but he had to leave it to Charles Leclerc. The Red Bull Racing driver speaks of a good start to the year and he is looking forward to battling the Ferrari drivers in Bahrain tomorrow.

Verstappen reasonably content

" Q2 seemed quite good and Q3 was a bit more of a struggle. I was struggling a bit with the balance," Verstappen tells David Coulthard in an initial reaction. The Dutchman looks satisfied and optimistic about his chances on Sunday."A good race car is the most important. It was a good start to the new era."

It was the first time Verstappen was allowed to push the throttle of the RB18 to the maximum. How did the reigning world champion experience driving at full power under the new regulations?" Not fantastic, but also not too bad because we wouldn't be in this position." he winks. "There are a few things we need to look into and try to do better for next time."

According to Verstappen, this weekend has been a search for the right compromise with the setup of the car. The tires are struggling in Bahrain, so the right set-up is the key to 25 World Cup points. At the end of the interview, Coulthard tells Verstappen that he must be disappointed that Mercedes missed the boat. To that, Verstappen laughingly replies, "Yes, very much so."