Photo Credit: LAPRESSE
After Checo Perez's elimination in Q1, Max Verstappen didn't hold back in pointing out the importance of the RB19 always making it to Q3. Verstappen, who secured pole position for the British Grand Prix, expressed his thoughts on his teammate's performance.
"I don't know why things went wrong today, but of course, with our car, you have to get into Q3," Verstappen stated. Confident in his own abilities, Verstappen hinted that he could contend for the drivers' world championship on his own, leaving the team championship question open.
"You have to ask Helmut (Marko) or Christian (Horner). But of course, we are also fighting for the team championship," he mentioned, followed by a light-hearted laugh. "At the moment, I think I can do it alone."
Reflecting on the intense qualifying session, Verstappen acknowledged the challenging conditions and his minor incident in the pitlane. "It was a pretty crazy qualifying, very hectic and slippery in places. I had a little 'incident' in the pitlane, understeered when I turned in, and the car went straight on. I think there was quite a bit of damage. Other than that, very happy," Verstappen shared. He also congratulated McLaren on their strong performance, highlighting the excitement in their garage and the positive impact it has on British fans.
Max expects strong competition for the race
Looking ahead to the race, Verstappen anticipated stronger competition from Ferrari and Mercedes, while expressing confidence in his team's race car. He welcomed any weather conditions, as the team proved their pace in the wet during FP3.
"I expect Ferrari and Mercedes to be more competitive during the race. As for us, we know we have a good race car, and I'm already looking forward to it. I don't care if it's wet tomorrow; in FP3, we were very fast in the wet, so I don't think we need to worry," Verstappen concluded.
Airline mocks the Mexican pilot
Checo finished 16th, and after failing to qualify for the fifth consecutive Q3, the Irish airline Ryanair published a meme on its social networks mocking the Mexican driver's dismal run.
"Only front row Perez is guaranteed", reads the company's Twitter account, in which it "sits" the Red Bull driver in a "front row" of one of its planes.
Checo Perez is able to come back, but his increasingly constant mistakes and those of his team are keeping him away from a podium that, as Verstappen says, should be almost guaranteed for the two drivers of the Austrian team.
