Red Bull suffer qualifying shocker with Max Verstappen out in Q1
Max Verstappen suffers blow to F1 title hopes with Q1 elimination in Sao Paulo.
Max Verstappen has been eliminated from the first part of qualifying at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
The four-time world champion could only qualify 16th on the grid for Sunday's race at Interlagos as he suffered a shock early exit in Q1.
It marks a blow to Verstappen's fading hopes of winning this year's world championship.
The Dutchman had already lost ground to championship Lando Norris in the sprint race by finishing fourth, leaving him 39 points behind the McLaren driver with four races remaining.
"I have no grip, zero!" Verstappen complained over team radio. "Brilliant."
It is the first time since the 2021 Russian Grand Prix at Sochi that Verstappen has failed to progress from the first part of qualifying.
It proved to be an embarrassing qualifying for Red Bull, with Yuki Tsunoda also eliminated in Q1, having set a time good enough for 19th only.
Verstappen did remarkably win last year's Sao Paulo Grand Prix from 17th on the grid, but conditions worked in his favour.
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