Formula 1 experienced a turnaround in Suzuka, with Max Verstappen out of Q3 for the first time in more than a decade at the circuit. The Red Bull driver did not hide his frustration and classified the car as “undriveable” after the session.
Read more F1: Check out the full results of the 2026 Japanese GP Qualifying
The result marks a sharp contrast with the four-time champion’s recent history in Japan, where he had taken pole position in the last four editions. Now, he will have to start from only 11th position on the grid.
The Q2 elimination came after the Dutchman was outperformed by Arvid Lindblad, a Racing Bulls rookie, who secured a spot in Q3. In addition to him, Isack Hadjar also finished ahead, securing eighth place on the grid, while Lindblad will start tenth.
The performance reinforces a complicated start to the season for Verstappen with the new generation cars. After retiring from qualifying in Australia and starting only eighth in China, the driver continues without finding consistency in 2026.
After the session, the Dutchman was direct in pointing out the problems with the RB22. “The car doesn’t turn in the middle of the corner. At the same time, we have a lot of oversteer on entry. It’s very difficult, unpredictable,” he stated.
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According to him, the team believed they had found a partial solution in FP3, but the problem returned in qualifying. “We still have a lot of understeer, and in qualifying the car became undriveable again. We need to understand this,” he added.
Verstappen also highlighted that he is using a different aerodynamic package this weekend, but that the results were not positive. “It seems it’s not working, which is also not good,” he said.
Explaining what he meant by “undriveable”, the driver indicated that there are known problems, but still without a clear solution. “We have difficulties that I cannot explain in detail here. Sometimes they are worse, sometimes better, but in qualifying it reached a point where it was impossible to drive,” he stated.
The scenario leaves Red Bull on alert for the race, especially at a circuit where overtaking is traditionally complicated. For Verstappen, the priority now will be to minimize damage and try to move up the grid after a Saturday well below expectations in Suzuka.
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