Verstappen Gets Made Fun Of By Red Bull Team Principal: 'A Very Fast Kangaroo'

Saturday, 04 November 2023 at 11:00

Red Bull Racing F1 team principal Christian Horner reflected on the Friday Qualification at the 2023 Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

The Friday Qaulification at Interlagos Circuit looked like one of the closest qualifying sessions in the season up until the change of conditions in the Q3.

All the top teams - Red Bull, Mercedes, McLaren, Ferrari, and Aston Martin showed strong pace and were right in there in terms of battle for the pole.

However, a massive storm approached the circuit. It was just a matter of time before it would hit, and it hit in the middle of Q3, making the first flying laps of every driver their last as the session was concluded.

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In the end, Max Verstappen showed why he is the three-time World Champion as he managed to deal with the shocking conditions best and put his Red Bull on the pole. His team principal, Christian Horner, said about the storm:

"We knew it was coming, I didn't expect it to be quite this biblical. It was good to get that lap in. Very unlucky for Checo to get a yellow flag with Piastri, but one of those things [that can happen in qualifying."

The Flying Dutchman came on the radio in Q1 to complain his car was "jumping around like a kangaroo." Still, he managed to win the pole, to which Horner reacted by saying: "It was a very fast kangaroo."

Asked if he expects his driver to disappear on the horizon on Sunday, Horner avoided being too optimistic as he explained the race at Interlagos Circuit tends to be more competitive than elsewhere.

"Well, I can only hope. But it's always a competitive race here, so you can not take anything for granted."

Verstappen will start on Sunday alongside Charles Leclerc in second place and in front of two Aston Martin drivers Lance Stroll in third with Fernando Alonso in fourth.