Verstappen sees recurring problem for Red Bull: 'Wasn't very pleasant'

Verstappen relieved after 'tricky' qualifying

In sprint qualifying, Verstappen also recorded a pole time. He himself was most surprised by this. Even on Saturday, the feeling was not optimal for the three-time world champion. "We definitely improved the car a bit. I don't know what it is, every single year we come here, I find it extremely difficult to be consistent with the car feeling, the tyre feeling over one lap," he said after qualifying.

He continued: "It's super hard to make sure that Sector 1 feels good, then Sector 3 at the end of the lap. To make that happens together is incredibly tough. Again today, it was about finding that balance. I think we did OK. It wasn't the most enjoyable lap of my career because of how slippery it is and you're not very confident on the lap. But we are on pole, and that's the most important thing."

Verstappen is a bit more positive about his race pace than a day earlier. "It definitely feels a little bit more under control , which I was looking for. Hopefully that helps us out tomorrow. We know what we, and I, did wrong at the start [in the Sprint]. I'm sure if I do my things correctly, then it should be alright," said the championship leader.