Marko expresses disappointment that Red Bull is "an eternity" behind McLaren.

      "We may not have the opportunity to address this."

      Red Bull has acknowledged that they were surprised by the lack of grip in Brazil, resulting in Max Verstappen only qualifying P6 in the sprint at one of his favorite tracks, at a critical time in the three-way championship battle.

      "Simply put, it's grip," explained team advisor Dr. Helmut Marko when asked about the issue. "We perform well in sectors 1 and 3, but we're losing four-tenths in sector 2. The soft tyre appears to be challenging overall—everyone is facing issues with it, except for McLaren. Four-tenths in the middle sector is a significant loss on such a short circuit," he stated.

      Marko suggested there might be setup problems, which he hopes can be rectified once the parc ferme restrictions are lifted at the finish of the sprint race on Saturday. "We have some ideas," he mentioned, although he conceded that the team's confidence was low. "We've heard that rain is expected tomorrow, so we might miss our chance to address this. The Grand Prix is the most crucial race."

      However, some observers suspect that Red Bull may have intentionally adjusted Verstappen’s car in preparation for the severe storm anticipated for Saturday, so extreme that the FIA is even allowing teams to close their garages for safety reasons.

      Dutch commentator Olav Mol remarked to Ziggo Sport: "I have a feeling Max was more focused on the weather forecast than we all realize. I hope that's the case—because that could explain why he's sixth fastest."

      Marko, however, dismissed that theory. "If it rains, Max stands out on his own," he admitted. "On the flip side, that means we can't make any alterations for the Grand Prix. We'd have to take a risk without any data. But we have nothing to lose—we have to take a chance."

      Meanwhile, Verstappen sounded genuinely frustrated after leaving the RB21. "It was just terrible," he told Viaplay. "I was expecting a better car. As it stands, it's not looking promising. I have no grip whatsoever. The car doesn’t want to turn. We’re lacking something."

      McLaren chief Andrea Stella dismissed any notion of relief over Verstappen's difficulties. "It’s Max! I never underestimate him," he joked. "No matter where he starts, he will make his way up. We need to concentrate on our own performance."

      It was a strong session for McLaren, with Lando Norris taking sprint pole ahead of Kimi Antonelli, while Oscar Piastri finished third after several challenging weekends amid ongoing speculation.

      "I think he’s regained his form here in Brazil," Stella said regarding Piastri. "Although I’m sure he wants to improve by another tenth."

      Piastri concurred: "I feel better than I have in recent weeks. I made a couple of significant mistakes during my lap, but I felt significantly more at ease than the last two weekends."