'Tyres cost Verstappen pole' but still has hope Red Bull's picked up 'a bit of pace'

17:48, 17 May

Updated: 18:26, 17 May

byNorberto Mujica

Max Verstappen finished P2 in qualifying for the Imola Grand Prix. The Dutchman outlines his challenges during the session and looks to the race.

During the on-the-grid interviews Verstappen revealed his difficulties during qualifying.

"I think everything was going really well, just the softest compound is very difficult to keep them alive around the lap. Sector one was good. And then the tyres again fell away from me, it's like tiny margins. But I mean, it was cool, but then you could see George, he set his lap on the medium. So, yeah, maybe they were a bit too soft for this track."

"For us, at least, it was a bit more difficult to extract the most out of it. I felt a bit happier on the medium. But the race is tomorrow. That's where you score the points, of course. So that's what we have to focus on. But I do think that today was a very good day for us."

Regarding the race itself, Verstappen looks back on Miami, but hints at opportunites being available tomorrow. "Last race was not really a fight, you know, so... I hope that we just pick up a bit of pace, have a bit more of a stable car, and then hopefully we can look after our tyres a bit better."