Max Verstappen revealed he was dealing with “a lot of floor damage” after an off-track incident during the early stages of qualifying for the British Grand Prix, which he believes cost him a chance at pole position.
Verstappen lost control of his Red Bull at Copse corner during Q1 as drivers switched from intermediate to slick tires in a wet-dry session, causing him to go off the track and through the gravel trap.
Despite recovering and qualifying fourth behind Mercedes’ George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, and McLaren’s Lando Norris, Verstappen admitted the incident was costly.
“It was just a bit unlucky in Q1 that it started to rain for one lap going into Copse,” he said. “I already slowed down but still lost the car. I kept it out of the barrier but caused a lot of floor damage. The team did a great job repairing what they could, but some parts were missing that you can’t just glue back on. From there, we were fighting with the car’s balance.
“The floor is a crucial part of the car, so I’m actually happy to be P4,” he added.
Verstappen believed he would have been in contention for pole if not for the incident, as he initially lost around 100 points of downforce. Looking ahead to the race, he declared that “everything is possible” on Sunday.
“I would have preferred to start first, but now we can drive an attacking race and see if we can pressure the leaders,” he commented.
Verstappen’s teammate, Sergio Perez, also had trouble at Copse in Q1. Unlike Verstappen, Perez beached his car in the gravel and dropped out, starting 19th on the grid after Pierre Gasly’s engine penalty.
“It’s very frustrating,” Perez said. “I let my whole team down. I was one of the first to switch to slick tires and needed all the heat I could get. As I approached Turn 9, I locked up the rear axle and went off track. The tires were super cold, and I got caught out by the conditions.”
Perez tried to get back on track but found it difficult. “It’s very frustrating, especially because we’ve had a strong weekend. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to show our full pace.”