Verstappen gives honest assessment after 'tough' Qatar qualifying

The Red Bull Racing driver, in his post-qualifying assessment, admitted that while his performance had improved, he was still not where he wanted to be.

“I think this qualifying was a little bit better, even though there are still some limitations that don’t allow us to push harder around the lap. But at least we are P3. We are starting on the second row, which creates better opportunities, let’s say, because we know that it’s quite hard to pass around here,” Verstappen said.

Looking ahead to the race, the Dutch driver remained cautiously optimistic with both McLarens ahead of him.

“We’ll see what we can do tomorrow. Realistically, it’s been tough this weekend, just not being what I want it to be so far, but we’ll see what we can do tomorrow,” he added.

When asked about the challenges with the Red Bull car in qualifying, Verstappen kept his response succinct:

“No, it’s still not amazing, I would say," he concluded.

Verstappen could only record a lap time quick enough for third place. The four-time world champion was over two-tenths off the pace of pole-sitter Oscar Piastri, who was followed closely on the timing sheet by teammate Lando Norris.

Earlier, Verstappen highlighted what the Red Bull team would need to improve the car at the Qatar Grand Prix.

The Dutch driver had complained for much of the weekend about the RB21 bouncing through corners, and during his sprint race, Verstappen had further complaints about the car.

Stay in on the action as the Qatar Grand Prix weekend unfolds. Enjoy every inside scoop and analysis from the F1 paddock as the action continues at the Lusail International Circuit.

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