Max Verstappen felt he was "hindered" during the final part of British Grand Prix qualifying as Carlos Sainz snatched pole position from his grasp.
He was one of the favourites to star Sunday's race from the front, alongside the likes of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. But it was Sainz who set the fastest time, securing his maiden Formula 1 pole while Verstappen had to ease off on his final lap after a yellow flag caused by Leclerc's spin.
And while giving his initial reaction to the result, moments after getting out of his car, he was the target of large sections of the Silverstone crowd who showered him with a chorus of boos. The defending world champion had a wry smile on his face as he was interviewed by former racing starlet Billy Monger on the track.
"It was quite a tricky qualifying, with the rain," he said, reacting to the session. "It was raining, drying, so you had to be on the track at the right time. I think overall the car was working really well.
"In Q3 it's always a bit of a lottery sometimes, when you have to put the fastest lap in. I got a bit hindered on my final lap with the yellow flag unfortunately, but I think still to be on the front row is very good for us and we have a good race car in the dry and in the wet."
Asked if he feels he can snatch the lead away from Sainz in the first few corners of the race, he replied: "Well, I mean, it's not only about the first lap. It's all about the race. Like I said, if you race cars, you'll have to do the tyre management as well. So, looking forward to tomorrow."
Speaking to Sky Sports F1 a few minutes later, Verstappen said he was "disappointed" by the booing from fans who appear not to have forgiven him for controversially beating Hamilton to the 2021 title. "It was a bit disappointing because I couldn't understand Billy," said the Red Bull star.
"The rest, if they want to boo, then they do that. For me, it is not going to change anything. I am happy to always be here. It is a great track and great for the atmosphere in general. Maybe some of them, they don't like me but that is fine. They all have their own opinions and I don't care."
