Verstappen blasts F1 officials after team-mate Perez comes 15th in qualifying – but Horner turns on his Mexican driver

MAX VERSTAPPEN slammed FIA bosses after claiming their over-the-top VAR officials made F1 stars look like “amateurs”.

The reigning world champion swore over the team’s radio as he fell victim to the video refs based at the FIA’s Geneva HQ.

A total of 47 laps were all deleted as qualifying for Sunday’s Austrian GP turned into chaos – with Verstappen’s team-mate Sergio Perez particularly suffering at the hands of the officials.

While Verstappen took his fourth pole in a row, Perez will start in 15th place after THREE laps were expunged for going over the white lines at the final turn here at the Red Bull Ring.

Verstappen said: “Today looked very silly. It almost looked like we were amateurs out there, the amount of lap times that were getting deleted. 

“Some of them were so marginal, where even we spoke about it in the briefing before, when it’s very marginal, it’s impossible to judge if it’s out or in. 

“They were still getting deleted. I don’t think it was a good look today. Of course people can say ‘yeah well then you stay within the white lines’. 

“Well if it was that easy, then you can take my car and try, but probably you won’t even get up to speed in time. It is super tricky. 

“Today showed it’s still not easy to have a clear rule about it. On most tracks, it works really well, but on some tracks, you might need something different.

“A lot of the tracks we share with MotoGP and they want something else outside of the curbs than we would like.

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“For us, putting gravel there is fine, but for a bike, it’s a bit different. We need to think about maybe having different solutions.”

Verstappen clinched pole but was pushed to the wire by Ferrari duo Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.

Brits Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton will start in fourth and fifth respectively on the grid in tomorrow’s (SUN) race.

However, Perez will line up in 15th after he had three lap times chalked off by the VAR officials – much to the frustration of Red Bull boss, Christian Horner.

Horner said: “He’s got a car that was easily capable to be on the first or second row. He was matching Max’s times… stay in the white lines! 

“Strike one, strike two, ‘Checo just stay in the white lines’, strike three and that was it. It is hugely frustrating as he could have been there, he could have done it.

“It is fantastic to have got the pole but it does not feel as complete.”
With speculation mounting about the Mexican’s future, despite his disappointment, Horner ruled out the team replacing him.

He added: “Checo is frustrated but will turn a page and race hard tomorrow. But it’s just annoying because we know he could have been there.

“The most pressure he’s under is the pressure he puts on himself but everybody’s fully behind [him]. Anybody talking about replacing Checo is wide of the mark.”

Perez was not the only high-profile driver to miss out on reaching the top 10 as George Russell could only qualify in 11th after he too had a lap time deleted.

Source: Motorsport - thesun.co.uk