Max Verstappen called qualifying in the wet at Silverstone a ‘lottery’ after managing to secure P2 as his starting spot for Sunday’s 2022 F1 British GP.
The Dutchman had been the fastest man in the two sessions prior and looked set to claim his third pole position of the season. A late charge from Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz at a rain-marred Silverstone, however, was enough to pip Verstappen right at the death.
Speaking to double-amputee British racing driver Billy Monger in parc fermé after qualifying, Max Verstappen candidly shared his thoughts, saying:
“It was quite a tricky qualifying, with the rain. It was raining, drying, so ye had to be on the track at the right time. I think overall the car was working really well. In Q3 it’s always a bit of a lottery sometimes, when you have to put the fastest lap in. I got a bit hindered on my final lap with the yellow flag unfortunately, but I still think to be on the front row is very good for us and we have a good race car in the dry and in the wet.”
When asked if he had any plans to attack pole-sitter Sainz going into the first lap on race day, Verstappen replied:
“Well, I mean, it’s not only about the first lap. It’s all about the race. Like I said, if you race cars, you’ll have to do the tire management as well. So, looking forward to tomorrow.”
Verstappen did spin his Red Bull RB16 during qualifying but was fortunate not to damage his car at all.
“Things change quickly in F1” – Max Verstappen cannot take 2022 F1 title challenge for granted, feels David Coulthard
Max Verstappen does not have the 2022 F1 World Championship tied up just yet, according to former driver-turned-television analyst David Coulthard.
Following two DNFs in the first three races of the season, the 24-year-old has been on a roll with five wins and six podiums in all races since the 2022 F1 Australian GP.
This run of good form, coupled with Ferrari’s shortcomings, that have hamstrung Charles Leclerc to an extent, has helped the Dutchman build up a formidable lead in the World Drivers’ Championship standings.
The successful defense of Verstappen’s 2021 championship, however, is far from a forgone conclusion, according to Coulthard. Speaking to the media in the build-up to the 2022 F1 British GP, the Briton said:
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“I don’t, I really don’t I think that, you know, Ferrari, if they hadn’t had those two non-finishes, then it would have made a big difference. I think things change quickly in Formula 1. I think that the Ferrari is still fundamentally a fast car, which has obviously got reliability issues. And you know, we saw again, [Sergio] Perez had reliability issues on the [2022 F1 Canadian GP] weekend. So you know, let’s see how the season plays out. But, you know, he’s [Verstappen] on a roll, there’s no question. He’s driving beautifully. But Carlos Sainz looked pretty quick on the weekend, maybe if that had been Charles [Leclerc] up there, maybe he would have had a go, who knows.”
Heading into the 2022 F1 British GP this weekend, Max Verstappen leads the World Drivers’ Championship standings with 175 points after nine rounds of racing.
