Qualifying 'one of my worst', says Verstappen

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Max Verstappen labeled his performance in qualifying for the US Grand Prix in Austin as one of his worst this season.

The Red Bull Racing driver concluded his afternoon run P6, but will drop 15 spots on tomorrow's grid as the result of an engine change.

Verstappen believes he should have at least been on a par with the man who'll be sitting second on the front on Sunday, Sebastian Vettel.

"I made some mistakes in Q3, it’s simple as that," said Verstappen.

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"I should have been with Sebastian. It’s easy to say now I should have been there but if you make two reasonably big mistakes, it’s not what you want.

"Of course I’m not happy with myself and I think this was definitely one of the worst qualifyings of the year for me.

"It was tricky out there," added the Dutchman.

"You try a little be more in the last run, you have a little moment, then the next corner is not great, it’s basically ruined.

"In the next sector you try to recover a little bit of the lost lap time and you lock up again. So not ideal."

The 20-year-old will have his work cut out for him as he launches his race from the tail of the field. He'll also be starting on the supersoft compound which could impact his speed in the opening laps.

"The first few laps you normally lose quite a lot of seconds on them," he said.

"So we’ll see. I’ll try to at least come up to sixth."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.