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Max Verstappen took a jibe at former rivals Mercedes in the parc fermé interview after qualifying ahead of the 2022 Bahrain GP. The reigning champion joked about being extremely disappointed with the pace of the Mercedes drivers as he spoke to David Coulthard.
On being asked by Coulthard if he was disappointed to see Mercedes struggling with their pace, Max Verstappen simply said:
“Very Very”
The Dutchman’s 2021 title rival Lewis Hamilton qualified fifth, while the latter's teammate George Russell qualified ninth on the grid. The Mercedes drivers seemed completely out of contention with the Ferrari and Red Bull drivers towards the end. Russell was even out-qualified by former Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas in an Alfa Romeo.
Mercedes will have a hard time ahead in the coming days, as they are struggling with balance issues and extracting the maximum from the new tires. Starting alongside Bottas, Hamilton still has the chance to target a podium, however their race pace remains in question.
Max Verstappen revealed they have a good race-spec car for the Bahrain GP
The Red Bull champion believes that although he struggled with balance in the final session, the RB18 is competitive in the race spec mode. Satisfied with the start, the reigning champion feels they can capitalize on their front row position in the race against the Ferraris.
Speaking about his own performance in parc fermé, the Dutch champion said:
“Its a bit difficult to tell. It was a bit of a hit and miss. Like Q2 seemed good but Q3 seemed like a struggle, to keep the balance together. But nevertheless, I think it was alright. I think we have a good car a good race car as well. Its a good start.”
While Red Bull have built a competitive car, the Dutchman’s performance in Q1 and Q2 of the qualifying session looked exceptionally impressive. Starting on the front row, either one can expect a feisty battle between the Ferraris and Max Verstappen or a clean grab of the lead from Charles Leclerc into the first few corners of the desert circuit.
