Max Verstappen has described his qualifying session for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix as a ‘disaster’ after multiple technical issues with his Red Bull car. The driver will start from eighth on the grid after a session plagued by engine, battery, and tyre temperature problems. He finished Q3 with a time of 1:44.081, which was 1.555 seconds behind pole-sitter George Russell.
Verstappen stated that the engine ‘was just not working’ throughout the entire qualifying session. He reported a significant lack of top speed, costing him approximately half a second per lap, even when compared to his teammate Isack Hadjar. Hadjar qualified in fourth position, 0.581 seconds ahead of Verstappen.
The problems escalated during the final part of qualifying, Q3. Verstappen encountered an energy management issue where the battery failed to recharge correctly before a planned flying lap. This left him with only half the available electrical deployment.
‘You want to push on for the middle sector and suddenly the battery wasn’t full. It’s not charging, it’s not working. And then they tell me I need to push with half a battery. I said: just piss off. I was completely done with it for a moment.’
This forced him to abort the lap attempt, which had a knock-on effect. Without full power, Verstappen could not generate enough speed to maintain the ideal operating temperatures for his tyres. This ‘snowball effect’ compromised his preparation for the final run.
His last attempt was subsequently affected by the same top-speed deficit and tyres that were too cold. His lap was further hampered by yellow flags, shown after Lando Norris went off the track. Verstappen insisted the yellow flag was only the final issue in a sequence of problems.
The driver also reported unusual behaviour from the engine braking system. He described it as feeling like the handbrake was being pulled in certain corners, stating that ‘something is seriously wrong’. The frustrating outcome followed a promising weekend where Verstappen had topped the final practice session.
George Russell secured a dominant pole position for Mercedes with a time of 1:42.526. Charles Leclerc will start second for Ferrari, with Oscar Piastri third for McLaren. Behind fourth-placed Hadjar, the top ten is completed by Lando Norris, Lewis Hamilton, Pierre Gasly, Verstappen, Carlos Sainz, and Franco Colapinto.
