Verstappen issues bleak update on title hopes after Brazil Q1 exit

The Red Bull Racing driver endured a frustrating qualifying session at the São Paulo circuit. Verstappen failed to progress past the first round of qualifying, clocking a time only quick enough for 16th place.

When asked about the impact of his qualifying on the drivers’ championship fight, Verstappen bluntly responded:

The 2025 drivers’ title fight currently appears to be a three-way tie, with the Dutch driver slugging it out with the McLaren duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

Earlier during the Sprint race at Interlagos, Verstappen lost further ground to championship leader Norris, who claimed victory during the 100km shootout.

Cycling back to the challenges of the RB21 car at Interlagos, Verstappen further stated that the team appears not to understand how to fix its issues at the moment. The Red Bull Racing driver, airing his thoughts on his outing, continued:

The first-round elimination marked the first time since the 2021 Russian Grand Prix that the four-time world champion failed to progress past the first stage of qualifying.

It was also a tough day for Verstappen’s teammate, Yuki Tsunoda, in São Paulo, as the Japanese driver also failed to progress past the first round of qualifying. The 25-year-old was only quick enough for P19 ahead of Sunday’s race.

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