Verstappen unhappy with Q3 as Antonelli takes US GP pole

Max Verstappen finished second in qualifying for the United States Grand Prix, just under two tenths behind pole-sitter Kimi Antonelli. He said Q3 was poor, with the balance wrong on both tyre sets and no grip.

Q1 and Q2 had gone well, Verstappen said. In Q3, he said, the car began to slide, while a tailwind made parts of his final lap difficult. He added that he had made no mistakes.

Verstappen said he hit a bump badly as he tried to push harder. The car bounced “like a kangaroo” and went into a huge slide; he knew the lap was over, he said.

Q3 was not what Verstappen wanted or expected, he said, but he would accept second place.