Verstappen: 'That last corner brings a smile on my face'

Max Verstappen beat all competitors - including his teammate Sergio Perez - during qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix. The Dutchman was half a second faster than Carlos Sainz. It looked like Verstappen could have been faster, but knowing that his first place would not be in danger, he broke his final fast lap prematurely.

Immediately afterwards, on the grid, Verstappen had few words to say about his unique performance. The Dutchman said he always enjoys his time at this circuit and is looking forward to Sunday's race. During the press conference, Verstappen elaborated on his handsome performance. "I think overall the whole weekend has been really enjoyable to drive the car. It was really hooked up. Of course, you always try to find little improvements on the car," he said. 

He continued: "Of course, qualifying started off a little bit tricky. You know, you needed to be on the track at the right time, not making mistakes, but yeah, we did that. And of course, going into Q3, I knew there was quite a bit of potential left in the car, so I could finally push it to the limit in that first run, and the car was really quick. Then, of course, we went out again for the second run, and that would have been even better. But yeah, I think GP got a bit excited. He told me to abort."

'Wear high'

Red Bull and Verstappen are favourites for tomorrow's race. "I think wear is always high around here. So for sure, with another two fast right-handers, that won't help the wear, but it's a lot more enjoyable to drive. I mean, going into that last corner brings a smile on my face because that's where an F1 car really comes alive," he added.