Verstappen Unhappy with Minardi's Handling

Dutchman Jos Verstappen was unhappy with his car's handling following another disappointing performance from the Minardi team in qualifying for the United States Grand Prix.

"It felt like we had punctures on the qualifying lap, the way the car was sliding around," said the Dutch driver, who finished 19th. "I just couldn't do anything with it. As soon as I really began to push, the rear just started sliding away. In the end, it was just about survival, keeping the car on the track and completing the lap.

"I'm obviously disappointed by how the car felt in qualifying today, and if it's like this for the race, we will have a problem. Hopefully, though, we will find something overnight to improve the situation."

Verstappen, who on Friday was unable to set a time after being hit by a mechanical problem, finished ahead of Minardi teammate Nicolas Kiesa, who put on a respectable performance to lap only three tenths of a second slower than Verstappen.

"The track conditions definitely changed between this morning's practice sessions and this afternoon's qualifying run, which meant the car's handling altered noticeably," said Kiesa. "I was pushing hard and the rear of the car stepped out, losing me probably three tenths of a second, which I then carried with me for the rest of the lap.

"The remainder of the run wasn't too bad, and the car went well through the slower corners in the second sector. As is often the case, I think we have a better car for the race than for qualifying."