Verstappen admits Red Bull ‘need to find something now’ to be more competitive after P4 in Sao Paulo Sprint

Max Verstappen conceded after the Sprint at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix that Red Bull “need to find something now” if they hope to be more competitive in Qualifying, the Dutchman having ended the 100-kilometre dash in fourth place.

Verstappen had been unhappy with his car during Friday’s action at Interlagos, having described the feeling as “terrible” following his P6 result in Sprint Qualifying.

In Saturday’s Sprint, the four-time World Champion overtook the Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso at the start to move up into fifth, while he gained another position after Oscar Piastri’s crash out of P3 on Lap 6.

From there Verstappen held onto P4, meaning that he has added some valuable points to his tally as he continues in his bid to close in on Lando Norris and Piastri in the Drivers’ Championship standings.

Pushed on whether the RB21 had felt any better during the Sprint – and whether he was happy to put further points on the board – Verstappen responded: “No, it was the same, and yeah, I think we still maximised the result, so I guess that’s positive.

“But of course, if we want to be more competitive we need to find something now before Qualifying, so we’ll have a look what we can do.”

While Verstappen will be hoping for better in Qualifying, the 28-year-old can perhaps take heart from his memorable performance from near the rear of the field at last year’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

On that occasion, Verstappen lined up in P17 but climbed his way back up the order amid mixed conditions, resulting in him clinching a stunning win.