Verstappen qualified fifth, starting from P4: “We used two strategies”
Published on 07 October 2017 by Mike Motilall
Max Verstappen qualified fifth at the Japanese Grand Prix. However, the Dutchman will be starting from fourth; Valtteri Bottas will be taking a five-place grid penalty for a gear box change. Lewis Hamilton took the pole with behind of him Bottas and Sebastian Vettel.
“It was okay”, Max says after qualifying. “It could have been better, but we chose between the two cars to do two strategies. I was running with more downforce than Daniel. Because of that we were a bit slower on the straights and slightly faster in the corners. If it is the right strategy, I am not sure. Perhaps not today, but maybe tomorrow it is. It will be a whole lot warmer, but it remains difficult to say. When you’re missing a second in qualifying, you cannot suddenly go for the win in the race. We’ll see.”
The first run in Q3 was not flawless for Verstappen. Max explains himself: “I had more front wing so the car was very sensitive. As soon as I went faster, I would start oversteering. After that I went back in, but then your entire rhythm is gone. Normally you would go faster and faster, but now it was a bit slower. Luckily the last lap went better. But it doesn’t take away the fact that we are too slow, it is what it is. It’s the best we can make of it at this moment.”
Max also explains the difference in speed compared to Malaysia: “This year more corners are flat out, they have become more or less a straight. That’s a bit more painful for us. It is also not as warm as in Malaysia, so this time we don’t have that advantage compared to the others.”
With cloudy conditions the first part of qualifying gets underway. Lewis Hamilton, on the softs, is the first to get a timed lap (1:26.507). Sebastian Vettel, on the same tyres, is behind of him, two tenths down. The rest of the field is on the super softs, including Valtteri Bottas. The Finn slips off track during his flying lap in the Degner-corner, but is able to continue on without any damages.
Max Verstappen does a 1:29.181 after a good first lap, good enough for the first spot at that moment. Hamilton betters that by one tenth not much later and on a harder compound tyre. Kimi Raikkonen has a good run as well and demotes Max with a 1:29.163 to P3. The Finn will however also take a five-place grid penalty for changing his gear box.
With a little over a minute on the clock, there is a double yellow in the first sector: Romain Grosjean is in the gravel trap. The Frenchman has gone off in the well-known ‘Esses'. His Haas has been severly damaged and immediately after that the session is red flagged. Because the remaining time is too short to get a timed lap on the clock, the session will not be restarted. This means curtain time for Grosjean, Gasly, Stroll, Ericsson and Wehrlein.
In Q2 the speed goes up a notch. Hamilton does a 1:27.819, this time round on the super softs. Vettel follows in second, almost seven tenths down. Verstappen does a 1:28.747 after his first flying lap, this earns him P4.
Half way the session Hamilton, Vettel, Bottas, Verstappen and Ricciardo form the top five. Bottas and Raikkonen have done their fastest time on the softs. With that they have made a tactical decision for the race and will be able to do more laps.
The fight for a spot in Q3 is between the McLaren drivers. In the end it is Fernando Alonso who comes out on top. Apart from Stoffel Vandoorne, Hulkenberg, Magnussen, Palmer and Sainz also don’t make it through to the final part of qualifying.
After the first runs in the third and final part of qualifying, Hamilton is leading the pack, followed by Vettel, Bottas, Ricciardo and Verstappen. The gap between Max and Ricciardo is well over half a second at that moment, even though the Dutchman’s lap was not without a mistake. Verstappen is clearly disappointed.
With still three minutes left, the drivers prepare themselves for a final flying lap. Verstappen improves himself in the first and second sector, crossing the line the Red Bull Racing-driver does a 1:28.332. Ricciardo is slightly faster with a 1:28.306. Hamilton reigns supreme and keeps his team mate down with over three tenths. Vettel finishes third, but will be promoted to the first row due to Bottas’ grid penalty.
Bottas and Raikkonen are not the only drivers with grid penalties. Following the Finns are also Sainz, Palmer and Alonso. Sainz and Palmer will both take a twenty-place grid penalty due to installing new engine components. Alonso’s power unit needed to be replaced almost entirely, therefore the Spaniard will take a 35-place grid penalty.
Japanese Grand Prix - Suzuka - Saturday 7 October
RESULTS QUALIFYING 01 44 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:29.047 1:27.819 1:27.319 18 02 77 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 1:29.332 1:28.543 1:27.651 17 03 5 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 1:29.352 1:28.225 1:27.791 19 04 3 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull Racing TAG Heuer 1:29.475 1:28.935 1:28.306 13 05 33 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing TAG Heuer 1:29.181 1:28.747 1:28.332 12 06 7 Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari 1:29.163 1:29.079 1:28.498 15 07 31 Esteban Ocon Force India Mercedes 1:30.115 1:29.199 1:29.111 16 08 11 Sergio Perez Force India Mercedes 1:29.696 1:29.343 1:29.260 17 09 19 Felipe Massa Williams Mercedes 1:30.352 1:29.687 1:29.480 16 10 14 Fernando Alonso McLaren Honda 1:30.525 1:29.749 1:30.687 13 11 2 Stoffel Vandoorne McLaren Honda 1:30.654 1:29.778 11 12 27 Nico Hulkenberg Renault 1:30.252 1:29.879 10 13 20 Kevin Magnussen Haas Ferrari 1:30.774 1:29.972 11 14 30 Jolyon Palmer Renault 1:30.516 1:30.022 10 15 55 Carlos Sainz Toro Rosso 1:30.565 1:30.413 11 16 8 Romain Grosjean Haas Ferrari 1:30.849 5 17 10 Pierre Gasly Toro Rosso 1:31.317 7 18 18 Lance Stroll Williams Mercedes 1:31.409 6 19 9 Marcus Ericsson Sauber Ferrari 1:31.597 7 20 94 Pascal Wehrlein Sauber Ferrari 1:31.885 7
