Max Verstappen: “It’s a shame to miss out on so little”

“Close, but not close enough”. By failing less than a tenth from pole position Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) yesterday at the qualifications of Sakhir Grand Prix, Max Verstappen logically conceded a hint of disappointment after the session, which saw the two Mercedes W11s of Bottas and George Russell ahead of the Red Bull n°33 from the Dutchman.

However, the Batavian pilot believes he did his best against the Silver Arrows. “Being third on a track like this is pretty good, Verstappen analyzes. The gap is very small and it's a bit of a shame to miss out by so little. On such a short lap we knew it would be tight but I think I got the most out of the lap. »

As seen several times in recent years, Max Verstappen and Red Bull opted for a different tire strategy from the two star-studded cars for the start of the race. Soft tires which could make the difference in the first moments of the race.

“Both Mercedes cars will be fast, recalls the Dutchman. George is a good driver, so we have to take care of both cars to try to win. We are starting with a different tire so it will be interesting to see how it goes and the start will be very important.

Like I said before, we have nothing to lose, so it's better to have a little fun tomorrow and see what we can do. »

On Alex's side Albon, ejected from Q3 yesterday in qualifying, the objective will be to return to the hierarchy and ensure a good result and above all finish convincing his employer to keep him for 2021.

“We know it's possible to overtake here and we use a bit more downforce than the others, so hopefully we'll be better with our tires, says Albon. Our race pace looked pretty strong on Friday and we also have a free choice of tires, so we'll think about it long and hard and see what we can do. »