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'Not Good Enough': Verstappen Explains Qualifying Bust

On Friday, Max Verstappen qualified eighth for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku, trailing pole-sitter George Russell by 1.5 seconds. The Red Bull Racing driver struggled with power issues throughout the session.
Verstappen revealed his Red Bull was "down on power" throughout qualifying, with his battery failing to reach 100 per cent in Q3. These mechanical setbacks compounded by cold tyres and a late yellow flag ruined his expected pole push.
Teammate Isack Hadjar qualified fourth, four spots ahead of Verstappen. Frustrated by the technical failures, Verstappen labelled his Q3 session "a disaster," noting he was consistently half a second slower than his teammate.
Asked about his prospects of progressing through the field on race day, Verstappen replied, "I will try. There are a few cars maybe ahead of me that I can pass, and then we'll see." The team must investigate engine issues before tomorrow.
Verstappen insisted this power loss is unrelated to the "car degradation" issue he first raised at the Hungarian Grand Prix in July. He noted the Red Bull has been "too fragile at times" throughout the 2026 season, signalling broader reliability concerns.

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