Verstappen was the main contender of Lewis Hamilton during the qualifying session in Austria. The dutch talent was improving his best lap in Q3, before understeering and spinning in the penultimate corner. Max claimed that Sebastian Vettel’s pitting Ferrari contributed to the issue.

"I guess it was Seb going in the pits - you can't see even the colour of the car [in the rain]," Verstappen said in the post-qualifying press conference.

"I understeered because of it and then I went a bit wide - like I came onto the kerb on the exit and then I lost it.

Nevertheless, Verstappen admitted that the lap was not fast enough to beat Hamilton.

"So, I had a four-wheel drift into the last corner but, anyway, it was not good enough a lap to beat Lewis."

The Dutchman continued remarking that Q3 was more difficult than the previous stages, as the weather conditions worsened significantly.

"Overall quali was good - just Q1 was so busy," affirmed Verstappen.

"You couldn't see a thing, you always had to drop and leave a bit of space so you could do a lap.

"So basically in the whole of Q1 I didn't really have a free lap, but still it was alright. Also the track I think was not too bad to drive on.

"It's just with these cars, with these big tyres on it's incredible - you can't see a thing when you are within six seconds of the car ahead of you.

"But it was all going well - same in Q2 actually - I think it was all pretty good.

"But then towards the end it started to rain a bit more and immediately sector two was becoming more tricky.

"So I couldn't really improve my last two or three laps - but it was good enough of course to go to Q3.

"And then Q3 was very difficult - for me at least. Just a lot of standing water.

"I lost quite a lot of grip and it didn't feel as good as it did in Q1 and Q2 but still of course to be second is alright."