Max Verstappen believes a "terrible sector two" was to blame for missing out on a chance of Pole Position for the Formula 1 Sprint in Azerbaijan. The Red Bull drivers were once again unable to respond to the pace of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who set the fastest time in the Sprint Shootout. Having qualified on the front row in Friday's qualifying for the main Grand Prix, Verstappen was also beaten by teammate Sergio Perez. Speaking after the Sprint Shootout, Verstappen blamed tyre overheating for the "moments" in the second sector of his fastest lap.
Verstappen: Unfortunate to be P3
"I think the pace is good, but in Q3 on the first run on the Soft, I had a big moment in Turns 5 and 6, and then because of that the tyres were really hot, and then I also had a moment in Turn 7," Verstappen explained to media. "On the peak lap with the most grip, we had a terrible sector two, so that was not fantastic. "But then we managed to do another lap, which not many other people seem to be able to pull off, so I think the pace is good, just a bit unfortunate to be P3. "With this heat and how the tyres are behaving I think it's not going to be a straightforward sprint, some tracks you can just set off and it's fine. Here, maybe a bit of time management comes into play, so it's all still to fight for."
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