Max Verstappen has accepted the blame following a disappointing qualifying session that will see him start the Miami Grand Prix from ninth.
The world championship leader failed to record a time in Qualifying 3 while his Red Bull team-mate, and title rival, Sergio Perez, captured pole.
Verstappen abandoned his initial lap in qualifying’s final phase after an early mistake before a red flag inside the final two minutes meant he could not complete his second.
With the session not restarted, it left the Dutchman without a time to his name.
He will start ninth courtesy of having at least been on track earlier in the session – Valtteri Bottas opted for a single timed lap as the qualifying hour built to its crescendo.
“That is unfortunate, but first of all, we didn’t do a lap, and that was my fault,” the two-time world champion confessed.
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“It was extremely tricky. I was a little bit off line out of Turn 6 into Turn 7. I felt a bit of understeer but I just couldn’t get it back on the line. So I aborted my lap.”
A mistake from Charles Leclerc saw the Ferrari driver spin into the barrier at Turn 7 as drivers began their final flying laps.
While far from a serious incident, it was enough to draw the red flag from Race Control with 96 seconds remaining – not enough for the session to be fairly restarted.
“Of course, you need a bit of luck, hoping that there won’t be a red flag, but when you try to think like that, then of course it happens,” Verstappen said.
“It’s a bit upsetting. I mean, all weekend we have been really quick; my Q2 lap was fast enough even for pole.
“I guess that already says that we have a very quick car, but you need to put it together and, where it matters, we didn’t.
“That’s a bit frustrating.
“But there is also not point to be super angry or upset about it,” he added.
“You learn from it and you will do better next time.”
Buried in the pack for the start of tomorrow’s race, Verstappen is now hoping to make swift progress.
However, changes to two of the three DRS zones have seen them shortened by 75 metres.
The newly resurfaced Miami International Autodrome is also especially dusty off the racing line, further increasing the degree of difficulty for Verstappen.
“It will be a little tough, but I think with the pace of the car we have normally we should have a chance of moving forward quite quickly,” he said.
“It’s going to be a little bit tricky but I think most of your overtakes will be done into the last corner or at least you are very closer and maybe even a run into Turn 1,” he added on venturing off line.
Verstappen maintains a six-point advantage in the drivers’ championship over his team-mate heading into tomorrow’s race.
“It’s not a great day but I know that the championship isn’t won tomorrow,” the points leader reasoned.
“I’ve been in the position before; you have sometimes a few setbacks but that doesn’t mean that carries on for the rest of the year.
“It can’t all be perfect.”
The Miami Grand Prix begins at 15:30 local time on Sunday (05:30 AEST Monday).
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