Max Verstappen blamed himself for failing to set a representative first flying lap in Miami Formula 1 qualifying after finishing the session in ninth. The reigning World Champion was caught out by the late red flags in Q3, which were brought out for Charles Leclerc's crash. Having made a mistake on his opening lap of the final qualifying session, Verstappen was P9 on the timing screens when the session was stopped with just over a minute-and-a-half to go. As a result, Sergio Perez secured Pole Position after setting the initial pace in the opening laps of Q3, ahead of Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz. Speaking after qualifying, Verstappen believed a recovery effort was possible in the race, despite 'making it difficult' for himself.
"That was definitely a mistake of mine trying to put it on the limit, and then I made a mistake and had to abort the lap," Verstappen explained to media. "Then you rely on a bit of luck that there is not going to be a red flag, but it can happen on the street circuit. So, I'm just a bit upset with myself. "I mean, it's going to be tough. I've made it difficult for myself." When asked about his targets for the race, Verstappen responded: "Minimum P2."
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