### Verstappen and Perez Struggle with Resurfaced Track at Sao Paulo Sprint Qualifying

Max Verstappen admitted that his Red Bull car felt "definitely off" during Sprint Qualifying at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, where the reigning world champion finished in fourth place. The session saw McLaren's Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris secure the front row, while Ferrari's Charles Leclerc took third place. Verstappen struggled with the newly resurfaced track, which he claimed made the circuit bumpier and affected his car's performance.

Reflecting on the challenging qualifying session, Verstappen said, "As soon as we went into qualifying it looked like we were definitely off. The car was difficult on the bumps - they did the resurfacing but I think they actually made it worse to drive! It's extremely bumpy everywhere, and it's costing me quite a bit of lap time unfortunately."

Despite his concerns about the track conditions and a mixed session, Verstappen remains hopeful for the Sprint race. "Normally when you are already quite a bit off over one lap, I don't think we are particularly the strongest in the race, so we'll have to see how that goes tomorrow in the Sprint. There's also maybe some weather around, but maybe not for the Sprint. We'll have a look," he commented. Verstappen will also face a five-place grid penalty for Sunday’s Grand Prix due to a power unit change, acknowledging the extra effort needed with a bit of humor, "I have a bit more work to do!"

Sergio Perez's session was marred by a "confusing" mix-up with his programme, leading to an early exit. Despite showing decent pace in SQ1, Perez was unable to complete a final flying lap in SQ2 and ended up in the elimination zone, finishing 13th. "We had a good Q1," Perez noted, "but then in Q2, we were struggling a little bit with the balance. We had a little bit of understeer as the track evolved and tried to manage with the tools available, but I ended up a little bit too rear-limited."

Perez expressed his frustration over the miscommunication that cost him a chance to improve his position. "It was a bit confusing on the programme. We thought we might have a chance for a second lap, and unfortunately, we didn't." Looking ahead, he remains optimistic about his prospects in Saturday's qualifying, stating, "It was a strong FP1 but today we did struggle quite a bit. I'm looking forward to tomorrow's qualifying really. We got caught out with the conditions unfortunately, and that's really what was the difficult bit."

Both Red Bull drivers face challenges ahead of the Sprint and Grand Prix, with the team's performance being notably affected by the track's resurfacing and internal mishaps. The Woking squad's impressive form promises an exciting Sprint race, with Verstappen and Perez hoping to improve their standings and overcome the bumps.