The Autódromo José Carlos Pace in São Paulo is proving to be a challenging venue for Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing this weekend, as evidenced by Verstappen's frustrated comments after sprint qualifying. The four-time world champion, currently trailing Lando Norris by 36 points in the driver standings, described his RB21 as "undriveable" after finishing a disappointing sixth in the sprint qualifying session.
Verstappen's struggles began early in the weekend, with the Dutchman ending up in P17 during the first practice session. The team's choice to use soft tires during FP1 seemingly backfired, further exacerbating Verstappen's difficulties in finding a comfortable setup.
The issues persisted into sprint qualifying, where Verstappen struggled with the car's handling and overall grip. "A lot of vibration in the car, a lot of ride problems," Verstappen explained. "Besides that, I think we also just don't have the grip. The middle sector is terrible, I just can't get the car to turn," he added. Highlighting his lack of confidence in the car, Verstappen stated, "At the same time, I can't really rely on the rear. For us, it's quite poor".
When asked about the possibility of rain improving the situation for Saturday's sprint race, Verstappen remained cautious. "I don't know, we'll find out," he said. "I think it's clear that we're lacking something. I'm not suddenly expecting it to be miles better in the wet. We'll see".
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko pointed to a lack of downforce and grip in the second sector as the primary cause of Verstappen's struggles. He admitted that there were limited possibilities for improvement before the sprint race but emphasized the importance of gathering data to make adjustments for the main race. Marko stated, "We're losing four tenths over a relatively short period of time and we're just not getting any grip. It went better with the medium tyres, but ultimately it's a question of downforce and something doesn't seem to be working properly".
The Brazilian Grand Prix is a sprint weekend, meaning there is only one practice session before qualifying. This format puts extra pressure on teams to find the optimal setup quickly. McLaren and Mercedes appeared to adapt more effectively to the conditions, with Lando Norris securing pole position for the sprint race and Kimi Antonelli qualifying in second.
Verstappen's teammate, Yuki Tsunoda, also struggled, qualifying in 18th position after a difficult session that included clipping the wall in practice. Marko acknowledged Tsunoda's increasing gap to Verstappen when the car is challenging to drive.
Looking ahead, Red Bull faces a race against time to analyze the data from the sprint race and implement changes for the Grand Prix. With Norris and Piastri starting ahead, Verstappen will need to overcome the handling issues and capitalize on any opportunities to minimize the damage to his championship campaign. The four-time champion hopes to repeat his stellar performance from last year’s race where he started in 17th position and finished first.
