Tsunoda outqualified Verstappen for the first time.

      In the sprint qualifying for the Qatar Grand Prix, Yuki Tsunoda beat his teammate Max Verstappen for the first time in his career, posting the fifth-fastest time. Yuki explained his result by saying he had no problems with the car this weekend.

      Max Verstappen said that problems with the car’s balance and porpoising on the straights prevented him from achieving more.

      Yuki Tsunoda (5th): “The race weekend is going cleanly. Everything is very smooth and there were no problems in practice or qualifying. All of that allowed me to feel more confident behind the wheel in qualifying.

      But there are still three sessions ahead, and in them we also need to put all the pieces together. That is very important for the team, especially for Max. Both sides of our garage are fully focused on extracting the maximum.

      I’m happy with the car and with my confidence. Of course, we need to work to find a little more for tomorrow, but I’m looking forward to Saturday with enthusiasm.”

      Max Verstappen (6th): “It wasn’t very good from the very first lap. The car was constantly porpoising and had very aggressive understeer that turned into oversteer in the fast corners. That’s not what you need to be quick.

      We tried to change the steering setup, but it didn’t help and only made things worse. The team adjusted some things on the car after practice, and that solution didn’t work. We need to understand what the cause is.

      Given the car’s balance, the sprint won’t be very fun. I’ll try to get to the finish and make some adjustments to the car before qualifying.”