Toro Rosso’s Max Verstappen says he was ‘very happy’ to make Q3 in qualifying for the Brazilian Grand Prix.
The Dutchman continues to impress in his rookie season and is hoping to hang onto tenth in the drivers’ championship.
Verstappen admits he did not think he would make Q3 due to Renault’s lack of engine power compromising Red Bull and Toro Rosso on the straights.
“Today’s was a good qualifying session. I think we can be very happy as we were able to get into Q3, something that I didn’t think we would achieve today! This isn’t the best track for us and we were still able to perform well, qualify in front of Lotus – our main rivals – and stay close to the Red Bulls.
Tyre degradation in Brazil has been very high since the change in track surface for the 2014 race. Verstappen believes his race will be dictated by the choice of strategy.
“I expect a difficult race tomorrow, especially regarding tyres. A lot will depend on the strategy, but we have a good car and I’m really looking forward to the challenge.”
