Verstappen already knew Leclerc wouldn't start: 'Ruined for sure'

Frustration for Verstappen

When Verstappen heard on the radio that he had to abort his fast lap, the Dutchman did not hide his frustration. At that moment he had just set the fastest time in the first sector. When he speaks to the Dutch press later that day he has calmed down a bit.

Formula 1 reporter Louis Dekker tells in the NOS Formula 1-podcast about this moment. "Max, of course, had realised that he had been robbed. He was on his way to pole position, but by now he knew that Leclerc had not crashed on purpose. He was very sporting and diplomatic."

One hundred percent ruined

During this press moment Verstappen was asked if he had seen the Ferrari yet. "Yes, that doesn't look very nice," the Red Bull driver told. As a result, he didn't think Leclerc would start from pole position. "If this had been my car, if I'd had that crash with my Red Bull, that gearbox would have been a hundred per cent f*cked up. I can't imagine them getting away with this, but maybe that Ferrari is much stronger."

Dekker explains that the press present at the time actually already knew that Leclerc would not be starting at the front. He was therefore surprised when Ferrari said on Sunday that the car appeared to have no major damage. "And in hindsight Max was right," he said.