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Max Verstappen was left baffled after balance issues hampered his progress in Qualifying 3 for the Italian Grand Prix.
The Dutchman will start Sunday’s race only seventh as title rival Lando Norris scorched to pole position.
Confusingly, Verstappen had been rapid earlier in the session, but was unable to carry that pace into the all-important final segment of the three-part qualifying hour.
“For whatever reason in Q3 I picked up a lot of understeer on both tyre sets,” he began.
“This is something that I don’t understand at the moment, I mean, it was just not driving any more.
“That’s something that is very weird, I mean, going four-tenths slower than we did in Q2 is a problem.”
Monza has been resurfaced ahead of this year’s Italian GP with the new tarmac proving especially tricky.
The new surface has created graining for some teams, while hot conditions further complicated matters.
However, Verstappen refused to use that as an excuse.
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“The only explanation is that it felt better on a scrubbed tyre for me than a new,” he reasoned.
“I mean, the balance difference that I have in Q3 was really weird. I’ve never experienced something like that before.”
While set to start the race seventh, Red Bull Racing showed promising pace earlier in the weekend.
That left pole-sitter Lando Norris to suggest that Verstappen would quickly charge through the field.
“No, we’re way too slow,” Verstappen admitted if he remained a chance of victory.
“The long runs, they might look good on paper but it didn’t really feel like that.
“The problem is that when you don’t have a balanced car, of course in the race, that’s quite painful on tyres also.
“Maybe with how the car is at the moment it might be a little bit better for the race,” he added.
“But we’re also starting in the back of, let’s say, the top group, so just have to really see what happens in front of us.”
Verstappen sits 70 points clear of Norris in the drivers’ championship heading into the race.
