Max Verstappen has to start the Italian GP on Sunday from fifth place. Red Bull lacked the speed in qualifying at Monza for a spot on the front row, although team principal Laurent Mekies did see clear improvements compared to Friday. The differences between drivers were also very small, which meant Verstappen ultimately just missed out on the top 5. However, due to a grid penalty for Oscar Piastri, he moved up one place.
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“We have mixed feelings after today’s qualifying,” Mekies responded to the press. “Of course, we cannot be satisfied with a fifth starting position, but I think the speed today was an improvement compared to Friday. Max (Verstappen, ed.) had a much better feeling with the car in the third free practice and overall we were closer to pole position than in the recent races.”
Frustrations at Red Bull
Verstappen had to yield to the Ferraris and McLarens in the fight for the front starting positions. Red Bull managed to close the gap with the competition but ultimately fell short of a spot in the top four. Mekies points to the minimal differences in qualifying.
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“The field was very tight between the top six or seven cars and we ended up at the back today, which is a bit frustrating, but it comes with the territory when the differences are so small. We need to improve a few things for Sunday so that we can compete in the fight with the guys ahead of us.”
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