17 June 2023 , 23:43
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Max Verstappen hailed his Red Bull team's decision making during Canadian Grand Prix qualifying – despite the tyre blunder which scuppered Sergio Perez in Q2.
Verstappen took pole for the Montreal race. He set the fastest of the first round of Q3 laps, before the rain intensified and no-one had a chance to improve.
His team-mate was not even still on the track at the time. Perez failed to make it through to the final part of the session after being left on intermediate tyres on a drying track.
Team principal Christian Horner shook his head on the pit wall as he seemed to acknowledge his team's mistake. The Mexican, along with Charles Leclerc, was unable to go fast enough while Lewis Hamilton, also on intermediates, scraped through.
"Once we [eventually] went onto the slick tyre, track position wasn't great," said Perez. "We were probably half a lap late and the temperature wasn't there in the tyre. We couldn't get it through.
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"I think, definitely, we could have been a lot higher... into the top three. In these conditions it was a bit of a lottery. In Q3 we saw the same with people not able to get a second lap when the tyres are a bit bare. It was a bit tricky for us."
Despite his team-mate's woes, Verstappen felt Red Bull made all the right calls in his situation. "I think Q1 was quite straight forward with inters," the championship leader said with a smile as he recalled a wet session which went swimmingly for him.
"The track was quite dry in some places, so there was not many things that could catch you out because the tyres were getting up to temperature quite quickly. That was good. But I think after that of course you had to make the call in Q2 – when to switch to slick tyres.
Sergio Perez cut a frustrated figure after failing to reach Q3 (Sky Sports)"I opted to initially go out on the inters just to get a lap in, because they work a bit better of course than cold slick tyres on a damp track. But then it was quite clear I needed to go on the slicks, and we did a pit stop. Those slick tyres those first two laps, out lap and first timed, it's quite tricky knowing the grip levels, and knowing how hard to push.
"Luckily, we got a decent lap in at the end, which was enough to go to Q3. After that it started to slowly increase, the rain, and then at one point it was not possible to start on the slicks. Overall, we just had good communication with the team, throughout Q1 and Q2, which I think is the most important and we were clear with what we wanted to do.
"And in Q3 it kept on raining, and it was very important to be out there quickly and get the laps in. Of course, I had to wait a long time at the end of the pit lane, tyres are cold, but it does give me clean air and good vision, which I guess also helps to put a lap in... we just made all the right calls, had the right at the track to do the lap times and very happy to be on pole here."