I could have gone even quicker - Verstappen

MaxVerstappen - cropped

Toro Rosso driver Max Verstappen made history by qualifying sixth for the Malaysia Grand Prix on Saturday - and then revealed he felt he could have done even better.

The 17-year-old Dutchman, son of former Formula One driver Jos Verstappen, secured a place on the third row for only his second race after a torrential downpour had delayed Q3 at the Sepang International Circuit.

Having earned the highest grid position by a teenager in F1 since 1961, and equalled the best qualifying performance managed by his father in more than 100 grands prix, Verstappen junior highlighted a brake issue that had proven particularly troublesome prior to rain arriving.

He is quoted by ESPN as saying: "I was really happy that it started to rain because I was struggling a lot with the brakes today; we still have to find the issue as I was losing a lot in every high-braking zone.

"So I was really happy it started to rain in Q2 because then I had a chance in Q3 in the wet, which is what I like.

"I was confident it could have been a good qualifying.

"I was still struggling with the brakes in the high-braking zones, which cost me P5 for sure. But P6, for my second qualifying, I think I can't complain."

Verstappen revealed he had studied the correct lines to take at a venue where heavy rainfall is common.

"I studied a lot the rain lines from last year, so that helped me a lot," he told BBC Sport.

"Of course, I don't have the experience of the other guys so, for sure, there is still more potential to come, but I think P6 for now is a good start."

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