Max Verstappen reveals confusion after shock qualifying crash

Max Verstappen has revealed his confusion at how quickly his crash unfolded in the dying seconds of qualifying at the Austrian Grand Prix.

The Dutchman was a genuine contender for pole position at the Red Bull Ring and was third after his opening lap before finding further time on his second run.

Verstappen had been losing two-tenths to Mercedes in the final sector, resulting in all eyes being on the four-time world champion as he entered it on his final lap.

Unfortunately, his RB22 suddenly snapped away from him, skipped across the gravel and crashed into the barrier, ending his hopes of a heroic pole position.

The incident dropped him to fifth on the grid as both Ferrari drivers set strong lap times, resulting in a significant opportunity slipping away from Verstappen.

The crash itself left the 28-year-old surprised, as he had not lost the rear at Turn 9 once all weekend.

Asked if the rear had been stepping out at Turn 9 on previous laps, Verstappen explained to Sky F1: "Not in that corner at all. 

"I mean, on that lap already, at Turn 6 on entry, I had a big moment. So that was a bit weird because, the whole weekend, I've never had something like that.

"And then I arrived at Turn 9, I turned in and it was immediately gone. Not even a small correction, it was just me, full lock off. So that's a bit odd, but we'll have a look.

"It's a shame, I think. Realistically, we could have been P3, so it's a little bit better than P5. But I can also tell you that, realistically, even if I had been P3, coming off the line is hard for us, so I probably would have dropped back to P5. But that's what it is at the moment."