Verstappen’s late braking disrupts Russell’s Monza qualifying as Red Bull struggles limit pace

Summary

Max Verstappen's late qualifying lap was disrupted when he suddenly slammed on the brakes at Parabolica, impacting George Russell's run. Verstappen also commented that his RB22 car feels fragile, with components breaking, particularly at the rear, and has been an ongoing issue he has struggled to resolve for years. These technical and on-track issues could influence race performance and standings.

The Full Story

Max Verstappen’s actions in the closing moments of qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix caused disruption to Mercedes driver George Russell’s final flying lap, while the Red Bull driver himself was hampered by a recurring technical issue that ultimately limited him to fifth on the grid. The incident and Verstappen’s car problems combined to shape a qualifying session that saw surprise polesitter Pierre Gasly take the top spot, with Russell settling for second.

Russell explained that as he was preparing for his final qualifying attempt, Verstappen unexpectedly slammed on the brakes at the Parabolica corner, disrupting the rhythm of the lap. “Everything was all looking fine, but then going into Parabolica, Max just slammed on the brakes and he didn’t want to be the lead car,” Russell said. This sudden braking forced Russell to adjust, costing him time in the first sector and preventing him from challenging Gasly for pole position. Mercedes had planned for Russell’s teammate Kimi Antonelli to provide a slipstream to help improve his lap time, but Verstappen’s unpredictable behavior complicated this strategy. “Kimi was there to give me the slipstream, which he did perfectly on the first run,” Russell noted, “but obviously with Max, I think it also made it difficult for Kimi to know what to do as well.” Though Russell improved his overall lap time, the disruption meant he could not prevent Gasly from securing pole, leaving Russell “disappointed we weren’t on pole ourselves,” but still optimistic about race prospects starting from second.

Verstappen’s qualifying performance was further compromised by a mechanical issue that he identified immediately at the start of the session. The four-time world champion revealed that a recurring problem with the rear axle surfaced early in qualifying, affecting the car’s stability and performance, particularly on the kerbs and bumps of the Monza circuit. “I immediately picked up a problem on the rear axle, which we have already a lot during the season,” Verstappen said. This issue caused the car to “jump around a lot more,” costing valuable performance on a track where margins are exceptionally tight. Despite this, Verstappen remained less than three tenths of a second behind Gasly’s pole time, but he was unable to secure a tow on his final Q3 run, limiting his ability to improve further. Verstappen expressed hope that if the problem could be fixed before the race, the car would be in a better condition to challenge for a podium, though he stopped short of guaranteeing a top-three finish. “We’d like to race with a car that is 100%, that would be nice,” he said.

Red Bull’s difficulties were compounded by teammate Liam Lawson’s failure to reach Q3. Standing in for the injured Isack Hadjar, Lawson was hampered by traffic on his final Q2 run, being blocked at the first chicane by McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, who was later handed a grid penalty. Lawson only managed the 13th fastest time and will start at the back of the grid following power unit changes. His inability to progress to Q3 meant he could not provide Verstappen with the expected slipstream assistance. “The weekend in general has just been focused on the race anyway because we knew we were taking the penalty,” Lawson said. “It’s not ideal, we didn’t put that much focus on just the pure one-lap speed, but outside of that, obviously getting blocked in Turn 1 doesn’t help.”

The qualifying session itself was described by Russell as “very scrappy,” with the Mercedes driver struggling with locking up and car balance compared to earlier practice sessions. The combination of Verstappen’s braking antics and the rear axle issue on the Red Bull created a chaotic dynamic at the front of the grid. Gasly’s performance stood out as he was fastest throughout qualifying, including Q1, and capitalized on the troubles of the leading championship contenders to claim pole position.

Looking ahead to the race, Russell remains confident in his chances to fight for victory starting from second place, while Verstappen and Red Bull will be hoping that the rear axle problem can be resolved to allow the Dutchman to mount a strong challenge. The unfolding drama at Monza underscores the fine margins and unpredictable elements that continue to shape the 2026 Formula 1 season.