Max Verstappen revealed he sustained significant floor damage following an off-track excursion during Q1 at the British Grand Prix, which he believes cost him a shot at pole position.
During a wet-dry qualifying session, Verstappen lost control of his Red Bull at Copse corner after switching from intermediate to slick tires. He veered off the track and traversed the gravel trap but managed to recover and eventually qualified fourth, behind Mercedes’ George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, and McLaren’s Lando Norris.
Reflecting on the incident, Verstappen said, “It was just a bit unlucky in Q1 when it started to rain going into Copse. I already slowed down but still lost the car and almost crashed. I kept it out of the barrier, but the floor sustained a lot of damage.”
Verstappen praised his team’s efforts to repair the damage, noting, “The team did a great job trying to fix as much as possible, but some parts can’t just be glued back on. From then on, we struggled with the car’s balance. The floor is crucial, so I’m actually quite happy with P4.”
Despite the setback, Verstappen remains optimistic about the race, stating, “Of course, I would have liked to start first, but now we can drive an attacking race and see if we can put pressure on the leaders.”
Meanwhile, his teammate Sergio Perez faced his own difficulties at Copse in Q1, where he spun off into the gravel and was unable to continue. Perez will start 19th on the grid, benefiting from Pierre Gasly’s engine penalty.
Perez expressed his frustration, saying, “It’s very frustrating. I let my whole team down. I was one of the first to switch to slick tires and needed all the temperature I could get. As I approached Turn 9, I locked up the rear axle and lost the car. The tires were super cold, and I got caught out by the conditions.”
Reflecting on his predicament when stuck in the gravel, Perez added, “I was trying to get out, but once you’re there, it’s really difficult to do anything. It hurts to let the team down, especially since we had a strong weekend up until now.”
Both drivers are now focused on making the most of their race day opportunities, with Verstappen eyeing an aggressive strategy and Perez hoping to recover positions from the back of the grid.
