General
Verstappen and Hamilton react to slow Ferrari: "Where are they?"
- Thierry Bakker
Ferrari experienced a particularly bad qualifying session on the Red Bull Ring. During the winter tests it became somewhat clear that the Scuderia could not keep up with the pace of Mercedes and Red Bull Racing, but the fact that they are be so much behind is surely a surprise.
Especially when you compare that with last year, when Charles Leclerc still achieved pole with a new lap record. This year he was over one second slower. When asked how this is possible Max Verstappen reacts as neutral as possible at the press conference. Last year he got into trouble when he accused the Italians of cheating.
"I think you should ask Ferrari and their engineers. I don't know. I'm driving a Honda-powered car, so I don't have any information why that is." Looking for a more exciting answer, the interviewer asks the two Mercedes drivers.
"Where are they? I have no idea", says Lewis Hamilton. When he is told that Vettel didn't even make it to the last part of the qualification, he is surprised. "I don't expect them to be so far behind, but like Max I don't know what's causing it." Then Valtteri Bottas can't add much more than that it's a surprise for him as well.