Max Verstappen claims securing P2 at 2022 F1 Spanish GP qualifying 'was a good achievement' after missing out on final run

Max Verstappen was content with claiming P2 during the 2022 F1 Spanish GP qualifying after being unable to complete his final flying lap during Q3. Verstappen looked set to go after Charles Leclerc's time for the provisional pole when he suddenly lost power in his Red Bull RB18.

The Dutchman was subsequently advised to abandon the lap as a result. His previous lap time was enough to help him find a spot between a Ferrari sandwich in P1 and P3 at the end of qualifying.

The reigning world champion was asked about the issue by Naomi Schiff during his post-qualifying interview on the start-finish straight for Sky Sports F1. Max Verstappen said:

“It’s always difficult to tell. I couldn’t do my final run. Either the DRS didn’t open or I just lost power, so it’s a bit of a shame. But I think, overall, to be on the front row here, looking at the whole weekend so far, I think it was a good achievement but of course, I would have liked to go for that final run.”

The 24-year-old was asked if he expected tire degradation to play a key role in shaping the outcome of the race like in round five in Miami. Verstappen said:

“The past few races we seem pretty decent on the tyres. Of course, tomorrow will be very hot, this track is quite tough to pass on, but let’s see. Hopefully, our car will be a bit kinder on the tyres again, but it’s difficult to tell at the moment.”

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"If I would have to give my younger self any advice, I wouldn’t" - Max Verstappen claims he wouldn't be himself without his mistakes

Max Verstappen admitted that if he had the chance to give his younger self any advice, the 24-year-old would not have any. The Dutchman has no qualms or regrets over how his career has panned out from being a prodigious teenage driving sensation to the fourth-youngest F1 world champion of all time.

Speaking during an episode of The Edge podcast, Max Verstappen elaborated on this thought by saying:

“If I would have to give my younger self any advice, I wouldn’t. I would just do it exactly like I have done at the moment, because you need to make mistakes to become a better person. If you keep preventing, let’s say, a ‘young Max’ from [making] mistakes, he’s not learning, because you do need to make mistakes to actually learn.”

The Red Bull driver feels it is good to make mistakes and learn from them. He went on to add, saying:

“People can tell you 100 times, ‘Do not do this, do not do that’, but you will make [mistakes] and it’s good to make them. It hurts, it really hits you, and I think these particular moments are good for your career, because sometimes that will drive you to be your better self.”

Verstappen will be hoping to emulate his younger self by winning at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for the first time since his maiden win in F1 came at the track back on his Red Bull debut in 2016.