‘I can’t explain it’ – Verstappen left searching for answers after dramatic Q3 crash in Austria

Max Verstappen has admitted that he “can’t really explain” what caused his crash in the dying moments of Qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix.

Verstappen was wringing the neck of the upgraded Red Bull RB22 when he lost control of it through the Red Bull Ring’s high-speed Turn 9, sending him across the gravel trap and into the barriers at pace.

Rather than potentially challenging for pole position, Verstappen had to make do with fifth on the grid for Sunday’s Grand Prix, behind George Russell, Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton and championship leader Kimi Antonelli.

Asked how he was feeling after the crash, Verstappen commented: “It was all good. It’s just always awkward to crash sideways. It’s never the nicest way of crashing in an F1 car.”

Offering some more thoughts on what happened, he continued: “The first two sectors were quite okay, but I knew that in the last sector Mercedes were very fast, and probably hard to replicate what they were doing there.

“I knew for myself there was margin still. I think even if we would have been P3, that would have been a very nice result for us. But on that final lap, I can’t really explain why it felt like that.

“Already in Turn 6 it was the same thing, on the long, combined entry. I had a big snap, a big moment, which was a bit odd, because that corner normally always understeers.

“I went into Turn 9 and the same happened... As soon as I turned the wheel it just completely snapped, and it was not even controllable anymore.”

Verstappen will now turn his attention to a smoother race day at Red Bull’s home event, as he and team mate Isack Hadjar – who starts eighth – look to get some valuable points on the board.

“I think we’re a little bit behind Mercedes at least,” added Verstappen, pondering Red Bull’s race pace relative to the competition.

“I think in Barcelona as well it was quite close-ish in Qualifying, but then we were lacking in the race, because that’s still I think our weak point. That’s what we want to see tomorrow, if we have any kind of improvements in race pace.”