Max Verstappen’s hopes of closing the gap to title rival Lando Norris took a significant hit on Sunday morning following his Q2 elimination from the Sao Paulo Grand Prix’s postponed qualifying.
The championship leader was left fuming after the second segment was halted due to Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll hitting the barrier, the Red Bull driver blaming the delay in bringing out the red flag following the Canadian’s crash, several of many that marked the chaotic session.
Under wet conditions at Interlagos, Verstappen knew he had a slim chance to exploit the unpredictable track to gain an advantage over Norris.
Just as track conditions begun to improve, the Dutchman attempted a final push to salvage his session, but he was forced to back off as he encountered Stroll’s stricken Aston.
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Meanwhile, a tardy deployment of the red flag allowed several of his rivals who had already passed through the yellow-flag zone to complete their lap and bump not only Verstappen, but also his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez into the elimination zone.
A visibly angered Verstappen vented his frustration at how events had unfolded.
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“If a guy goes straight into the wall, it is a straight red,” he told Sky F1. “I don't understand why you need to take 30, 40 seconds for a red flag to come out...
“Mind blowing… because of course we have to lift off, and after that the lap is gone. It should be an immediate red. It’s just unbelievable.”
When it was suggested to Verstappen that the delay was to allow some drivers to finish their laps, Verstappen didn’t hold back his fury.
“You know, honestly, I let it go,” he said. “It's so stupid anyway to talk about. It's ridiculous.”
The setback leaves Verstappen with a mountain to climb in Sunday’s race, where he will start from 17th – factoring in his five-place engine penalty – and need to battle through the field to have any shot at challenging Norris in the title race.
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