Verstappen watched Premier League football during Brazilian GP qualifying delay before starting last

Max Verstappen dismissed Saturday’s qualifying session at Interlagos as 12 wasted hours, completing just one flying lap in Q1 before climbing out of his Red Bull, already knowing an engine-related grid penalty would send him to the back of the grid for the Brazilian Grand Prix.

The FIA’s indicative grid lists the four-time world champion in 21st place, behind Lewis Hamilton and just ahead of teammate Sergio Perez. Despite the futility of the exercise, Verstappen’s single timed lap in the wet told its own story — his first flying effort was 1.4 seconds faster than the top of the leaderboard at that point and four tenths quicker than Hamilton, who crossed the line shortly afterwards. Verstappen ultimately finished Q1 in third, behind Lando Norris and George Russell, before stepping out of the car for good.

Asked whether he had at least enjoyed himself in the Brazilian rain, Verstappen was blunt. “Not really, because I’m not fighting for anything,” he said. “My mind is already set on tomorrow, so it was just about doing a lap, not risking anything.”

The session was interrupted by a red-flag delay of almost an hour and a half due to heavy rainfall, and Verstappen revealed how he spent the downtime. “Watching football. Premier League,” he told Viaplay, laughing. The last match he caught before returning to the cockpit was Nottingham Forest against Manchester City — a 3-1 result — and he admitted he saw a “great goal” just before climbing back in.

When it was suggested that fans might struggle to picture a Formula 1 driver watching football minutes before tackling qualifying in treacherous conditions, Verstappen shrugged it off. “But I’m starting last anyway, so it doesn’t matter. I’ve lost 12 hours of my life today that I’ll never get back.”

Despite the throwaway tone, Sunday’s race is a different proposition entirely. Verstappen has produced three memorable comeback drives at Interlagos in recent seasons — most notably in 2024, when he won from 17th on the grid to effectively end Norris’s title challenge, and last year when he charged from the pitlane to the podium. Starting from the back row at Interlagos, then, is far from a death sentence for the Dutchman.

However, Verstappen has cautioned that replicating those heroics will be harder this time around, though the source material does not detail the specific reasons he cited.