Verstappen wary of threats but more comfortable with car at COTA

Max Verstappen says his fastest time in qualifying for the Sprint at the United States Grand Prix was due to Red Bull hitting the ground running and giving him a car he’s more comfortable with.

The last time he was fastest in any qualifying session was in Belgium, although a grid penalty for taking a new power unit meant he did not start from pole position. Prior to that he was quickest in the qualifying sessions in Austria back in July, and after returning to the front in the Sprint Shootout at COTA the championship leader says the car was more to his liking on Friday.

“It was just a positive day,” Verstappen said. “From lap one I think the car was in a decent window; I felt quite comfortable. I could attack the high-speed corners; I think we were quite quick there.

“Then going into Sprint qualifying is always a tricky one. You do medium-medium-soft — of course on the mediums at one point you get a bit of a reference, but then you go into SQ3 and you have the soft tire and it’s only really one lap, so that was not easy. It’s the same for everyone, but you can’t really push to the limit, you have to leave a little bit of a margin, but it was OK.

“Looking at the lap, a few little balance issues still but to be ahead of the others I think is positive. I think also when you look, Lewis had a little mistake in 12, otherwise I think he would have been up there as well. I’m happy, but I’m also aware that there are a lot of fast cars around me, but it’s definitely a positive return.”

Verstappen’s mention of Hamilton was backed up by the seven-time world champion, who says a yellow flag caused by Franco Colapinto spinning cost him what he believes would have been the fastest time.

“I just got unlucky with the yellow flag and it is what it is — I was 0.4s up,” Hamilton said, after teammate George Russell ended up just 0.012s off Verstappen.