Sao Paulo Grand Prix: Max Verstappen says he can ‘forget’ about winning Formula 1 world championship after qualifying 16th

Four-time world champion Verstappen qualified sixth in the sprint, gaining two places by overtaking Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin at the start and moving up the position when Piastri crashed.

Afterwards, he complained about the car’s poor grip, and the changes Red Bull made to try to improve it made it worse. He was eliminated from qualifying after the first session.

It was the first time this had happened since the 2021 Russian Grand Prix – and was the result of engine problems.

Verstappen said he and the team did not know why the car was not competitive.

“We have to understand what our problems are, first of all,” he said. “Things weren’t good. We don’t seem to really understand why things turned out the way they did.

“There was no grip. I changed the car a few times and it wouldn’t start. That’s something we need to figure out.”

Red Bull even changed the flooring of their car, reverting to an older specification that had the effect of improving their performance when it was introduced at the Italian Grand Prix in early September.

“They are two different floors, so obviously that is not the case,” Verstappen said.