Max Verstappen suffers shock Japanese qualifying blow as miserable F1 season continues

Max Verstappen suffered an 11-year low at Suzuka in qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix.

To compound Verstappen's misery under the new F1 regulations, which he has so far derided since pre-season, Verstappen was knocked out of Q2. The four-time F1 champion will line up 11th on the grid.

To rub further salt into the wounds, Verstappen was out-qualified by team-mate Isack Hadjar by 0.158s.

On the bubble in the closing stages of the session, Verstappen then dropped out of the top 10 when Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad pipped him to the final Q3 slot by 0.153s.

It is the first time since 2015 that Verstappen, who has won the last four Japanese Grands Prix, has been knocked out in Q2 at Suzuka, and by a team-mate. On that occasion, it was Carlos Sainz who inflicted the damage.

At the end of qualifying, a clearly frustrated Verstappen told race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase over the radio, "I think there is something wrong with the car mate.

"It's completely undriveable suddenly in this qualifying. [It is] Jumping on high speed in the rear suddenly."