F1: "It was really bad," says Verstappen after Sprint qualifying at Interlagos.

Current world champion Max Verstappen faced a difficult Friday at Interlagos. The Red Bull driver finished only sixth in the Sprint Qualifying for the São Paulo Grand Prix, and did not hide his frustration with the car's performance, which he described as "broken" and "undriveable" over the radio.

Verstappen arrived in Brazil recovering in the fight for the 2025 title, after reducing the gap to the championship leader from 104 to 36 points in the last five stages. The goal was to maintain the positive sequence at the Sprint weekend, but technical and balance problems with the car left the Dutchman at a disadvantage for the short race this Saturday (8).

“We had a lot of vibration in the car, a lot of setup problems. That’s not what we want,” Verstappen lamented.

“Furthermore, we simply don’t have grip. The middle section is terrible, I can’t get the car to turn. At the same time, I can’t rely on the rear. It was pretty bad, I’d say, but it’s what we have.”

During the session, the three-time champion showed frustration with the car's lack of responsiveness and the difficulties in maintaining stability in medium-speed corners. The performance fell short of expectations, especially considering the performance of his McLaren rivals: Lando Norris will start from pole position and Oscar Piastri from third.

With this, Verstappen acknowledges that the mission of limiting the damage in the Sprint will be difficult even with the possibility of rain forecast for Saturday.

“I don’t know, we’ll see. I think it’s clear that we’re missing something, and I don’t expect that to improve much suddenly if it rains. We’ll find out tomorrow,” said the Red Bull driver.

The day was also complicated for teammate Yuki Tsunoda, who will start only in 18th place after a Friday marked by an accident during the only free practice session.

With the car unstable and lacking grip, Red Bull begins the weekend at Interlagos under pressure, while Verstappen searches for a way to react and keep the championship fight alive.