Verstappen tried different strategies in qualifying: 'Tricky'

Max Verstappen looks back on qualifying with satisfaction, even though the Dutchman did not manage to put his RB18 in pole position. However, Verstappen knows that nothing is lost in Austin yet.

Qualifying did not go smoothly for Verstappen. The Dutchman suffered greatly from the strong wind in Austin, but the tyres did not want to cooperate either. In the end, he qualified third, but due to Charles Leclerc's grid penalty, Verstappen slides to P2.

"It was very tricky today with the wind out there, especially in the first sector in the high-speed corners, when you have the tailwind on this track it makes it really tricky. We tried a few different things. But all in all, we're still very close to pole. Last race, it was the other way around where I was on pole, but it was all fine margins. And now, you know, when you don't get it entirely together, you are P3 but at the same distance between the three cars. So yeah, I think still it's a great result," the Red Bul Racing driver said during the press conference.

'Nothing lost and nothing gained'

Verstappen drove an extra warm-up lap in qualifying because he could not get the tyres in the right window. "I just wanted to try something different. I mean, of course, we analyse what was the best but at the end of the day, we are still in a great starting position. Nothing is lost. Nothing is won of course today. We just have to be there. And like I said before, like I know we have a quick race car so if we have a clean first lap I know that we can have a very good race," said the Dutchman.

Red Bull can clinch the constructors' title at the United States Grand Prix. The team needs a lead of at least 147 points over Ferrari. Following the death of Dietrich Mateschitz, Verstappen is extra motivated to honour the Austrian with victory.