Max Verstappen eyes McLaren scrap after qualifying dead heat

Max Verstappen has voiced his hope of challenging the McLaren drivers at the Spanish Grand Prix after securing a spot behind the duo on the front row.

Verstappen's final effort in Q3 saw him rise up the order and into third place, with George Russell setting the exact same lap time as the Dutchman.

However, third went the way of Verstappen as he set his effort before the Mercedes driver.

While Verstappen was three-tenths down compared to pole-sitter Piastri, the four-time champion is hopeful of mixing it up for the leading position on Sunday. 

“We were lacking all weekend compared to them, but I think we executed [qualifying] well,” Verstappen said. 

“Third position is more or less where we should be, even though I think it's quite close behind as well.

“It's fun around here, squeezing everything out of the car, the grip is always quite good, even with the hot temperatures. 

“Let's see tomorrow what we can do from there.”

Verstappen enjoyed a positive day of practice on Friday and even looked to be fastest in the field over the high-fuel race runs.

The 27-year-old revealed he did not change much in the car overnight, stating: “We had quite a decent Friday.

“We just made some final changes to the car. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to really challenge for the pole.

“I will try my best, but they [McLaren] will be tough to beat.”