Verstappen taking penalty Leclerc into account? "We'll have to see where we start"

Max Verstappen could have set the fastest time if Charles Leclerc hadn't caused a red flag. That is the firm belief of the current number two in the world champion.

"That would have been a very good lap, because I was one and a half tenths under my time," Verstappen told Ziggo Sport. "In the previous lap after the tunnel with braking, I just didn't have the grip. In that last sector, it was the same, so it was one hundred percent possible to fight for pole. But yes, with a red flag it stops."

Verstappen wanted to get pole

Possibly the Dutchman will still start from P1 Sunday afternoon if Leclerc gets a penalty. "Yes, but of course it doesn't feel like that. I would have preferred to just be in front today without anyone getting a penalty. That's Monaco of course, it's not always easy," he is honest.

According to Verstappen, what Red Bull showed on Thursday was not good, but two days later it's a different story. "I'm happy with how we changed the car from Thursday to today. It did feel a lot better, we changed almost everything. We got more grip upfront and that's very important."

Is Max expecting a penalty?

On how the race will unfold tomorrow, he says: "It's just tyre management and seeing when you can make a pit stop. First, we'll wait and see where we start," Verstappen said.