Verstappen optimistic about U.S. GP victory shot despite qualifying woes

Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar have hinted that their Red Bull Racing car should have had the pace for pole position despite both falling short in Q3.

Verstappen has consistently figured near the top of the standings this weekend and was buoyed when he set his fastest Q2 time on a set of used softs, creating high hopes for a pole tilt in Q3.

But while he walked away from the session as Kimi Antonelli’s closest challenger for top spot, he was left mystified to have found only 0.257s with a set of fresh softs on a track that was still evolving.

Antonelli, meanwhile, found almost exactly the same amount of time between two sets of new soft tires.

Unable to improve with his final lap owing to changing wind conditions, Verstappen ended up 0.179s short of pole.

“Unfortunately, it just felt bad. I just didn't really have the grip that I wanted, so I couldn't lean on the rear the way I wanted in the final sector, and that just cost me too much time.

“Q2 felt great on a used set, and then you think, ‘Okay, you put a new set on, now it's time to really push’ and it just didn't come alive. That was my feeling, but that can happen.

“When you look at the sheets and you're starting P2, it's nice and it's a good result, but I was hoping for more, and this was just not it.

“If it's not a great feeling in qualifying and then that's a P2, I'll take it, but there's no need to then smile and be super happy about it.”

Hadjar was happier, having struggled through all three practice sessions with car balance only to storm to third on the grid just 0.036s behind Verstappen.

It equaled his career-best qualifying result set in Australia and then Malaysia.

“It's been a disaster of a weekend for me,” he said. “I've had all my lap times deleted all the time. This morning [in FP3] I could not complete a single lap on the soft tires.

“I knew there was something in the car, because there were times where I could do half a lap and I felt comfortable, but I could never finish it.

“But in that qualifying the car really came alive a bit more for me. We really dug deep on the set-up. We tried so many things this weekend, and it really paid off, so on that note it's really, really satisfying.

“But I'm a bit gutted — not too much about the last lap but more about the first attempt in Q3 because … I really felt like I lost so much time with that massive tailwind I got, and I felt like there was a bit more today.

“I thought we had a shot at the front row. Kimi did a fantastic job.

“But I'm happy with the comeback, let's say.”

Despite the qualifying underperformance, both drivers were optimistic about their chances in the race, particularly with two cars in the hunt against Antonelli, whose teammate, George Russell, will start further down in sixth.

“Lately, yes, we have been happier in the long runs, and I hope that it will be the same tomorrow,” Verstappen said.