Japanese GP: Max Verstappen is not having fun and is very far away

The Dutchman, one of the biggest critics of the new technical regulations, did not overcome the Q2 barrier with his Red Bull and lost to Isack Hadjar.

Max Verstappen arrived at Suzuka after enjoying driving the Mercedes-AMG GT3 at the Green Hell of the Nürburgring on the second date of NLS. Two days before starting the activity in Suzuka for the Japanese GP, the third round of F1, he got into a Nissan of the Japanese Super GT in Fuji. All of this amused him, because more than once he said that he doesn’t like the current World Cup. The new technical regulations for power units with so much interference from the electrical component force you to lift your foot off the accelerator at the end of the straights and not be able to do very high-speed curves like the Suzuka 130R because you have to recharge the battery. And all of this is unnatural for the pilots, who were trained always seeking the limit in each variant. And if to all that combo that the four-time champion hates we add that Red Bull is very far from the top…

For the second Grand Prix in the last three, Verstappen did not reach Q3, quite a sign. Of course, in Australia it was because he crashed in Q1, precisely due to a failure in the new systems that blocked the rear axle with the engine brake. But in Japan it was different, it was totally about the performance of his RB22. The Dutchman clocked 1m30s262 and placed 11th. In reality, he was tenth and it seemed like he would manage to sneak almost through the window in Q3, but he was dropped by Arvid Lindblad, the brilliant 18-year-old appearance who came from the ranks of Red Bull and occupies one of the Racing Bulls seats. Yes, a driver who belongs to the same basic forces as him sent him to the pits early. Verstappen’s face when he got out of his car was the summary of the moment he is experiencing in F1. Not to mention the radio messages, complaining about the running of his car.

“The car jumps in every corner, it’s really difficult and unpredictable. We thought we had it solved, but now it’s unmanageable. Also, I’m using a different air suspension. Keep jumping in the curves. “We have problems that I can’t explain in detail here, it’s just gotten to the point where it’s impossible to drive.”was Verstappen’s blunt statement before Sky.

The former champion is eighth in the tournament, with eight points, when 58 were disputed. The Suzuka track always suited him, so much so that he had always reached Q3 and in the last four editions he had started from pole and closed with victory. Speaking to Viaplay, Verstappen said: “The worst thing is that I’m not angry, I got over it a long time ago and that’s not good.” Quite a message for someone who has already said on several occasions that he does not spend much time in F1.

While Vestappen took off his helmet, his Red Bull teammate Isack Hadjar was turning in Q3. The Frenchman was finally eighth. For Verstappen there is still hope of a recovery in the race that will allow him to score some points, although he does not see it as very possible because he should have a good start and the RB22 also fails in that area. “My engine no longer stops, but the start is still very bad,” he said.

The long break of five weeks without races due to the cancellations of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia will be a time of hard work for Red Bull in the attempt to find an improvement. The bad news for Verstappen is that everyone will do the same and those from Milton Keynes have a very high mountain to climb.