Verstappen swapped useless qualifying for Premier League football!
Max Verstappen had little appetite for Saturday's qualifying exercise at Interlagos, admitting that the entire affair amounted to 12 hours of his life he would never get back, given that Sunday's Brazilian Grand Prix will begin with the Red Bull driver starting from the back of the grid. With an engine-related penalty already guaranteeing him a rear-of-the-field launch, the four-time world champion saw little reason to expose himself to unnecessary risks in the treacherous conditions.
He duly packed up after Q1, having already demonstrated that his speed in the wet remained as formidable as ever. Verstappen ended the opening segment third fastest, behind Lando Norris and George Russell, after producing an outstanding first flying lap that was 1.4 seconds quicker than the benchmark at the time and four tenths faster than Lewis Hamilton.
But with nothing to gain from progressing further, the Dutchman decided his afternoon was over. Premier League offered a better spectacle Asked whether he had found any enjoyment in tackling the rain-soaked circuit, Verstappen made little effort to disguise his indifference.
"Not really, because I'm not fighting for anything," he said. "My mind is already set on tomorrow, so it was just about doing a lap, not risking anything.
Every lap that I did, we were up there, but for me that's not a surprise." His enthusiasm for the afternoon had apparently been in short supply well before he climbed into the cockpit. Like everyone else, Verstappen had been left twiddling his thumbs during the lengthy red-flag interruption, which lasted almost an hour and a half as torrential rain battered Interlagos.
Rather than fret over the conditions, the Dutchman found a more appealing way to pass the time: catching up on the Premier League. Premier League, he laughed when asked how he had occupied himself.
"A lot of different games, but Nottingham Forest-Manchester City was the last one before I got into the car. It was 3-1, I actually saw a great goal just before I got back in!" When it was suggested that watching football immediately before tackling one of the most demanding qualifying sessions of the season might seem an unusual preparation routine, Verstappen delivered the punchline.
"But I'm starting last anyway, so it doesn't matter. I've lost 12 hours of my life today that I'll never get back," he said.
Another Interlagos miracle will be harder to engineer Verstappen's lack of interest in Saturday's proceedings does not mean he has given up on Sunday.