If there’s one driver who’s not at all a fan of the Sprint races, it’s none other than Max Verstappen. The Dutchman’s dislike for the Sprint and newly introduced sprint shootout has reached a new level after his P3, as he calls the format “terrible.”
As the first-ever Shootout concluded, Verstappen voiced his annoyance in front of the media after recent threats. When approached for comments after the event, the defending champion just had one choice word for it.
Verstappen just said to @mara_sangiorgio
“the format is terrible” @formu1a__uno #F1
— Giuliano Duchessa (@GiulyDuchessa) April 29, 2023
As per F1 journalist Guiliano Duchessa, the 25-year-old said to Mara Sangioorgio, a journalist at Sky Sports 24, “The format is terrible.” This comes right after F1 introduced a second qualifying session to set the grid for the Sprint race.
This format is slightly different from the main format of the qualification. This format is called sprint shootout and is regarded as shootout qualification or SQ. The SQ1 has a duration limit of 12 minutes, followed by 10 minutes in SQ2 and eight minutes in SQ3.
Verstappen failed to keep up with Leclerc once again
After Friday’s failed effort, the two-time world champion has failed to dethrone Leclerc from taking the first-ever pole position in Sprint Shootout. With this, the Ferrari star maintained his staggering form in Baku.
Furthermore, this time the Dutchman was lower than his qualification performance on Friday. Verstappen was ahead of his teammate after the conclusion of Q3, but the SQ3 conclusion saw him behind Perez.
🚨 SPRINT GRID 🚨
It’s not long now until lights out…..
Here’s how we line up for our first Sprint of the 2023 season! #AzerbaijanGP #F1Sprint pic.twitter.com/l7aL4rgqip
— Formula 1 (@F1) April 29, 2023
Leclerc’s pole timing on board was 1:41.697. Compared to him, the Mexican was 0.147 slower. Verstappen was further down in P3 with twice the time of his teammate.
The Dutchman banks on RB-19 for the race on Sunday
While the Sprint race is up for grabs on Saturday itself, the Dutchman is mainly focused on winning the main race on Sunday. With the superior RB-19, the 25-year-old believes he calls pull off a stunning performance in Baku.
According to GP Fans, the defending champion Max Verstappen stated that he’d got a good race car, and with the help of the mighty RB-19, he could push for the win on Sunday.
Admittedly, Adrian Newey’s machines are mighty regarding straight-line speed, thanks to a monstrous DRS advantage. With long straight and multiple DRS zones, the contest with Charles Leclerc is expected to be fierce.
