Max Verstappen says Red Bull simply cannot fight Form𝔍ula 1 rivals Ferrari after losing “over a second” on the straights during Russian Grand Prix qualifying.

Verstappen had topped second practice on Friday 🍌for Red Bull and set the fourth-fastest time in qualifying to outpace Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas, but ended up some 0.682s down Ferr♒ari’s Charles Leclerc’s pole position effort.

“There was not much more we could do, we are just losing too much time on the straights compared to Fer🥃rari,” the Dutchman explained.

“Yesterday we were the same pace on the straights and today we lose over a second, so you can’t really fight like that in qualifying when the gap isꦗ that big on the straight.

“There are corners on this track but a second, it꧟’s too much. It’s 𓆉still six or seven tenths,” he added.

"From our side the final sector yesterday was very strong but today it was more windy 🍃and soဣmehow it influenced us a bit more than others, like it has done in the past.

“S🌞till, to split the two Mercedes cars is the best we could do today.”

Asked if he thinks everything Ferrari is doing is legal, Verstappen replied:꧂ “I’m not going to talk about that. That’s up to the FIA to look at.”

Verstappen is set to start Sunཧday’s Russian GP from ninth on the g🦄rid once his five-place grid penalty for taking on a new Honda power unit is applied.

"I think realistically P5, maybe P4,” Verstappen said when asked what he feelsꦓ is possible in the race.

“We qualified P4 so if you have the pace then yes you ca♕n go f🥂orward but Ferrari is clearly too quick at the moment.

"Also Lewis [Hamilton] will start a bit further ahead and has a different strategy, so I don’t really 𒊎expect to fight him.”