Max Verstappen is “beyond” being “frustrated” about his and Red Bull’s current situation after a difficult qualifying session for the Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix.
The Dutchman will start from 11th at Suzuka, having failed to make it out of Q2, while team-mate Isack Hadjar did progress and earned eighth on the final grid.
Max Verstappen found himself “stuck” as a lack of confidence in his Red Bull RB22 meant he couldn’t attack corners.
He described his car as “undriveable” on team radio, having complained on Friday that the car behaved completely differently in FP1 and FP2.
“We’ve made changes all weekend,” he said when asked about his session by Crash.net.
“But at the same time, we also have some problems in the car that we’re trying to fix, and I guess it was worse again in qualifying compared to FP3.
“So as soon as you tried to push, for me it was all over the place.
“Really not good, and also it really doesn’t give you any confidence to attack any corners. So for me, I was stuck. I couldn’t push more.”
Asked if the issues related more to energy deployment or the chassis, he suggested it was the latter.
“Well, let’s say driveability and stuff can always be better. I think everyone would say the same thing, shifting, everything.
“I don’t think that’s our biggest problem, actually, because from the car side we are really struggling at the moment, and to keep it consistent.
“There are problems that we know that are in the car, and like I said which we are trying to fix. But that makes every session a different problem.”
Reminded of his Friday comments on the switch in set-ups between sessions, he said: “Yeah, and now again a different way.
“I mean, the changes that I made from FP3 to quali are not that big. It’s just a bit tricky to understand.”
He acknowledged that the car didn’t respond as predicted.
“Yeah that, at the same time we also know there are problems. We of course try to fix it over the weekend, and I guess in qualifying it got worse again.”
Verstappen admitted that he was happier with the car in Australia earlier this month.
“I mean, we can see that Melbourne was better, and then somehow some things happened with the car, while not even having touched the car. So that is always a big problem.
“There are just a few parts on the car that are not working like they should be working, which is limiting us to even when you make set-up changes, like you used to do in the past, it still doesn’t respond, basically.”
Verstappen was once again unhappy with his Red Bull
Verstappen: People not trying to “shut me up” over car criticism
Asked if it was frustrating to come to a circuit that he loves with a tricky car and a rule set he doesn’t like, Verstappen made his feelings clear.
“I’m not even frustrated anymore, I’m beyond that. I don’t know the right word in English for it. I don’t know what to make of it, to be honest.
“There’s probably no word. I don’t get upset about it, I don’t get disappointed or frustrated by it anymore, with what’s going on.”
He continued: “For sure, we’ll fix a few things in the coming weeks and months. The rest, you know how I feel about a lot of stuff. I don’t need to mention it again. A lot of stuff for me personally to figure out.”
Questioned on what he meant with the last remark he said: “Life. Life in here [the F1 paddock].”
He downplayed the suggestion that he referencing people wanting him to stop saying what he things about the current state of the sport.
“Oh, I mean people are not trying to shut me up,” he said. “At the end of the day I say what I think about the situation because I care about the sport. And I think that’s right. That’s what I stay and then I go home.
“But at the moment it’s just not a really nice situation. It is what it is. We just try to move on and keep trying.”
Verstappen made it clear in 2025 that he enjoyed the process of turning the car around, and he insists that he has no issues with his team.
“I enjoy working with everyone,” he said. “For sure, everyone is of course trying their best. But it’s a lot of stuff together that at the moment is just not as nice for me.
“But that has nothing to do with the people in the team, because I know they work very hard and they give everything to give me the best opportunity.”
