But on that final lap, I can’t really explain why it felt like that,” added Verstappen.
The handling anomaly first manifested during a combined corner entry earlier in the sequence, according to the driver's trackside assessment.
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“Already in Turn 6 it was the same thing, on the long, combined entry.
I had a big snap, a big moment, which was a bit odd, because that corner normally always understeers,” explained Verstappen.
The vehicle snapped in an identical fashion when entering the penultimate corner. This neutralized any chance of challenging for the front row.
“I went into Turn 9 and the same happened...
As soon as I turned the wheel it just completely snapped, and it was not even controllable anymore,” remarked Verstappen.
Looking ahead to the Grand Prix, Verstappen shifted his focus toward evaluating potential upgrades and matching the race performance of his primary rivals.
“I think we’re a little bit behind Mercedes at least,” admitted Verstappen.
Red Bull's technical focus remains heavily directed toward correcting performance deficits that have regularly impacted their competitiveness during extended race stints.
“I think in Barcelona as well it was quite close-ish in Qualifying, but then we were lacking in the race, because that’s still I think our weak point.
That’s what we want to see tomorrow, if we have any kind of improvements in race pace,” concluded Verstappen.
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Verstappen's teammate, Isack Hadjar, qualified in eighth position for the upcoming race at the energy drink company's home venue.
