Verstappen defeated again: 'During the race we can fight'

Max Verstappen was disappointed after the second qualifying session in Baku. The sprint race of the Azerbaijan GP will see the Red Bull Racing driver start from P3, behind teammate Sergio Perez and Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc.

Verstappen dejected but sees race as his territory

It is rare for Verstappen, but things did not go quite right during his first run in Q3. On Verstappen.com, the Dutchman explains in more detail what happened:

"Everything went pretty well. The speed was good. But in SQ3, during the first run on the softs, I had a big moment at turns five and six. That made the tyres very hot, and I also had a moment at turn seven. So during the peak lap with the most grip, we had a terrible second sector. That was not fantastic. This does explain the gap to Ferrari."

The gap to Ferrari is there during qualifying, but it should be gone during the races. Verstappen: "The speed was good, but it's a shame we finished third. But with this heat and how the tyres are behaving, it's not going to be an easy sprint. There will be some time management involved here. But I'm not worried. During the race, we can fight."