Red Bull: mixed reactions from drivers after sprint qualifying

Max Verstappen, second in the sprint qualifying, expresses his satisfaction. His teammate Liam Lawson, however, had to settle for the 20th position.

« I am very happy, yes. I think that, during the first tests, we were quite far, so I am very happy to be on the front row […] When you look more closely, we were quite far from the pole, but I don’t think we would have been on the front row. I am very happy to be in 2nd place. », said the Dutch driver.

“It’s good for us. It’s a little motivation boost,” added the world champion. Verstappen also said he was pleased that the laps are still perfect and that he continues to try to maximize his full potential.

He nevertheless acknowledged that the pace shown by McLaren in recent races would make it difficult to contain their drivers during the event.

On Liam Lawson’s side, the world champion’s teammate, the atmosphere is noticeably less positive, although he tries to put the sprint qualifying result into perspective.

The young driver admitted having really struggled to cool down my tires, a difficulty that prevented him from achieving an optimal performance. I think that, as a starting point, it wasn’t too bad, but the result remains disappointing. I had significant difficulties cooling my tires, which is particularly frustrating, he added.

The New Zealand driver remains, however, clear-headed and is now focusing on the sprint race. He is determined to learn lessons from this session to improve his performance in the upcoming qualifiers.

The sprint race promises to be thrilling, with Verstappen having to defend his second place against the threat of the McLarens, notably Oscar Piastri, while Lawson will try to climb back through the pack to showcase his true potential.