Max Verstappen said his car was “undriveable” after his run of four consecutive pole positions at the Japanese Grand Prix came to an end on Saturday, leaving him 11th on the grid.
The 28-year-old had turned each of those poles into a victory, but was not expected to challenge for pole this time around, with Mercedes setting the pace under Formula 1’s sweeping new rules, and both Ferrari and McLaren also ahead of Red Bull.
Things were worse than expected though, as Verstappen failed to make it through to the top-ten shootout, with Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad taking the final spot instead. His teammate Isack Hadjar fared better, making it through to the final phase and starting eighth.
Verstappen said the car struggled to turn through corners and was also losing the rear on the way in. He said the team thought they had made some improvements, but the problems returned in qualifying. He also tried a different aerodynamic package this weekend, which he admitted was not working either.
Verstappen currently sits eighth in the championship with just eight points from two races, well behind Mercedes’ George Russell who leads the standings on 51 points.
