Source:REUTERS/JAKUB PORZYCKI
[Saba Sports News] According to official F1 reports, although his first lap time was sufficient to secure pole position, Max Verstappen still explained the reason he missed the chance for a final flying lap in the qualifying session for the F1 United States Grand Prix. In the earlier Sprint race, Verstappen took victory, helping him close the points gap to Oscar Piastri and his teammate Lando Norris. However, the final phase of qualifying took an unexpected turn for Verstappen: he failed to start his final flying lap in time and did not complete a valid lap before the checkered flag was waved, momentarily putting him at risk of being overtaken by his rivals. Despite the best efforts of his competitors, the four-time world champion’s time of 1:32.510 remained enough to keep him at the top of the timesheets, allowing the Red Bull team in the pit lane to breathe a sigh of relief. When asked if he was worried during the final moments, Verstappen said: “I was actually okay. I was just a bit disappointed with what happened in front. Many cars left gaps of 10-12 seconds between each other; such a big gap is hard to judge. So we lost a few seconds, which wasn’t ideal, but luckily, it didn’t affect the outcome.” Verstappen had complained about a loose rear end on his car during the Sprint Shootout, and the rear of the car was unstable multiple times during his Sprint race victory. During qualifying, changing wind conditions presented a new challenge he had to manage.