After Max Verstappen’s performance so far this season, his critics have been silent! The Dutch Lion won a record-breaking 16th win of the season at last week’s Mexican GP. Known for his usual grand slam race weekends, the Brazilian GP was not going to be as easy for the three-time champion. The Milton Keynes outfit was nowhere to be found during free practice, with Verstappen down in P16! Although the Red Bull Ace stuck to only using the hard tires, Alonso was miles ahead on the same compound!

However, with this season’s shenanigans, one thing’s for sure. The Brazilian GP qualifying saw the teams scrambling with their set-ups to try and make it into the top ten. What is usually sweet sailing for Verstappen turned into quite the headache after the rain came pouring. Having anticipated the rain to some extent, Red Bull and Verstappen pulled off a strategic risk that would pay dividends if it worked out. However, the Dutch Lion had some daunting words to share over the radio.

‘Pushing to the end’ pays off for Max Verstappen amidst Brazilian GP woes

Taking a huge gamble by jumping out onto the track with a set of soft tires, the last thing Verstappen needed was water droplets hitting the tarmac. With the track losing temperature and grip by the second, the drivers were in a race against time to set in a lap before the pace dropped off drastically.

Heading towards the start-finish line after his first lap, Verstappen was fuming at the tire’s performance. He could be heard over the radio, utterly displeased, “Zero f***ing grip on this tire, what the f**k! The three-time champion was highly critical of the RB19’s traction on the softs, seemingly regretting his choice. However, his race engineer was quick to comfort Verstappen by asking him to “keep pushing to the end“, sharing how similar the plight of other drivers was. And before you know it, Verstappen was greeted with an oh-so-familiar message, “Currently P1″

The Dutchman had set his RB19 on pole, 3-tenths ahead of last weekend’s pole sitter, Charles Leclerc. The Brazilian GP qualifying was a touch above what Max Verstappen has come to expect. The frustration was evident in the voice of the three-time champion, expressing his disbelief in the fact that a poor lap in his eyes, was good enough for a pole. He concluded, “That’s shocking!”

READ MORE: Max Verstappen & Co. Given Disheartening Update as FIA Prioritizes Safety in Daunting Brazilian Storm

After a chaotic Brazilian GP qualifying that instills fear in Verstappen for a few seconds, fans should proceed with extra caution when they decide which drivers to pick for their fantasy roster!

Max Verstappen was a fast kangaroo according to Christian Horner

The Dutch Lion’s Q3 tire complaints were preceded by the RB19 bouncing around ‘like a kangaroo’ in Q1, an issue Verstappen was highly vocal about. However, Christian Horner lightened the mood in the media after Verstappen secured the pole. He was quoted by RacingNews365, “Max was a fast kangaroo! He put a lot of pressure on the brakes in the first corner, which didn’t seem to work so well with little fuel. They changed some small things, after which things improved. That’s where we fell a little short.” 

Reflecting on the Milton Keynes outfit’s struggle to work around Verstappen’s braking style at Interlagos, the sprint format’s lack of practice proved to be a hindrance yet again! However, the team was able to sort their issues out and logged the fastest time of the session when it mattered most.

Hoping that the rain gods go easy on the grid on Sunday, Horner concluded, “I hope Max disappears on the horizon on Sunday, but it’s always a competitive race here. We can’t assume anything. In any case, better weather is predicted.”

WATCH THIS STORY | Red Bull Hero Max Verstappen’s Net Worth

After an exhilarating qualifying, the teams are gearing up for an intense showdown at the sprint shootout and subsequently the races! A friendly advice for avid enthusiasts of the sport, stay tuned throughout the weekend, or you might just miss out!