The world champion was somewhat disappointed
Ahead of qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix, Verstappen was seen as the strongest contender for pole position, but in the first race of the new season, the defending champion could only qualify behind Ferrari driver Leclerc.
Verstappen was second behind Leclerc by 0.123 seconds, taking a narrow lead over another Ferrari driver, Seinz, by just a narrow margin of 0.006 seconds.
Verstappen was somewhat surprised by Ferrari's performance: "I always knew that the gap would become very small. When the gap is very small, the handling of details is very important, and the treatment of small details produces different results. ”
"In Q2 I felt really good, but in Q3 my operation was a bit off, but it was acceptable."
The car is in unstable condition
Verstappen said his two attempts at Q3 were not as good as in Q2.
"The first time we tried something different, the second time I had to leave a gap and it wasn't ideal."
The balance of the car at the fastest lap is mixed and bad, and each corner changes.
'The car slipped badly and we fine-tuned the front wing before the last attempt and played a role in some sections."
"Here sometimes there is understendering, sometimes oversteering. I can see from the wheel that sometimes I can win 0.1 seconds because the track conditions get better, and then I lose 0.1 seconds again because of a moment. ”
Red Bull may be faster in the main game
"In Q3, the car wasn't as normal as in Q2 and I ended up finishing second. It's a good start. "After all, the main opponent Mercedes is even worse.
Red Bull remains favourites to win titles in Sunday's regular races, as red bull cars show strong long-distance capabilities in Friday's practice sessions.
Verstappen said: "We have a good car, but Ferrari also did a great job during the winter break and hopefully there will be a good race. ”
While Mercedes' presence cannot be easily ignored, Verstappen believes Ferrari will be the biggest rival in the main game.
"I don't think we're a lot faster than Ferrari, but I think tomorrow is a good opportunity for us. At least in heavy oil we look better, and I hope the same on Sunday. ”