"Up there for pole": Max Verstappen rues Turn 13 traffic in F1 Mexico GP qualifying
Max Verstappen rued being unable to log his final run of Mexico City Grand Prix qualifying, stating that his lap was "up there for pole" before encountering Lando Norris in the final sector. The four-time champion was almost a tenth up on the lap of eventual poleman Lewis Hamilton at the close of the second sector, having found a purple opening sector and then matching Hamilton in the second ...…
Max Verstappen expressed disappointment over traffic congestion he encountered at Turn 13 during qualifying for the F1 Mexico GP. The four-time champion was almost a tenth of a second ahead of eventual pole sitter Lewis Hamilton at the end of the second sector, but Verstappen's lap unraveled from there. He encountered dirty air from cars in front at Turn 12 and then had to navigate between Isack Hadjar and Lando Norris into the tight left-hander at Turn 13.
Verstappen's lap was disrupted when Norris attempted to move to the right, causing Verstappen to lock up and abort the lap. Verstappen started fourth in the final qualifying grid, penalized one place for his FP2 clash with Liam Lawson in the same section of stadium corners. Despite his frustration, Verstappen praised the improving grip in qualifying and stated that his final lap was up there for pole, but he couldn't complete it due to the traffic.
He expressed concern about the engine running hot during the Mexico City race and emphasized his preference for starting from pole.
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