Max Verstappen endured a difficult Sprint qualifying session at Interlagos, finishing sixth after battling severe handling issues with his Red Bull RB21. While McLaren’s Lando Norris secured pole position with a lap of 1:09.243, the Dutchman could only manage a 1:09.580 and voiced his dissatisfaction on team radio.The reigning champion’s frustration was evident from the start. Norris led the way through SQ3, with Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli slotting into second, just 0.097s behind. Oscar Piastri completed the top three, continuing McLaren’s strong form. Verstappen was seen shaking his head in the cockpit after crossing the line.Yuki Tsunoda’s P18 finish amplified Red Bull’s struggles. After complaining of excessive bouncing through the corners, Verstappen said over the radio after SQ2:“The car is completely broken, it’s a pogo stick, it’s completely undriveable.”Despite stable conditions and a dry track, the RB21 appeared to be out of balance across both low and medium-speed sections, leaving Max Verstappen battling with grip and rhythm. His laps lacked the precision that usually defines his qualifying runs. The car’s instability through the Senna S and Turn 10 curbs left him unable to extract consistent pace and ended over three-tenths off the pace setter, Lando Norris.The weekend had started with similar signs in Friday’s lone practice session. Verstappen finished P17 after running only on the hards, focusing on long-run setup work. Red Bull opted not to switch to the softs, leaving them without a pace comparable to rivals.In contrast, both McLarens set the early benchmark, with Norris leading teammate Piastri. It was a worrying indicator for Red Bull, as Verstappen’s lap data showed significant losses in traction zones and mid-corner stability.Max Verstappen and Helmut Marko agree on Red Bull’s handling issuesMax Verstappen and Dr Helmut Marko at Marina Bay Street Circuit on October 03, 2025. Source: GettyWith four rounds and two Sprints left in the 2025 season, Max Verstappen remains third in the championship on 321 points, behind Lando Norris (357) and Oscar Piastri (356). But with form sliding and balance issues persisting, the Dutchman admitted his sprint qualifying session felt “awful.”“It was just awful,” Verstappen said afterward. “A lot of vibrations in the car, bouncing a lot, and besides that, no grip in the slow corners. It doesn’t turn, no traction.”Verstappen News @verstappenewsLINKMax: "It was just awful. A lot of vibrations in the car, bouncing a lot, and besides that, no grip in the slow corners. It doesn't turn, no traction.."Verstappen's blunt assessment was echoed by Red Bull team consultant Helmut Marko, who emphasized that the team’s main challenge lay in the lack of mechanical grip.“If it is wet, Max is a class on his own,” Marko noted. “But we can’t make adaptions for the main race. We have nothing to lose, so we have to go for it. The problem was not enough grip. We are losing four tenths in Sector 2. For the sprint, because of parc fermé, we can’t change anything, but we hope to gather enough information to adapt the car for qualifying and the race.”Verstappen News @verstappenewsLINKHelmut Marko: "If it is wet.. Max is a class on his own, but on the other hand, we can't make adaptions for the main race.. But we have nothing to lose, we have to go for it."Despite the limited options under parc fermé rules, the team will analyze setup data overnight to recover balance for Saturday’s sessions.Heavy rain is forecast for both the Sprint and qualifying, which could reset the field and potentially play into Max Verstappen’s hands. For now, however, the Dutchman faces an uphill climb at Interlagos, hoping that Red Bull can improve before lights out.