Max Verstappen experienced one of his most turbulent Formula 1 weekends of the season in Sao Paulo – and one of his strongest. After a disastrous qualifying and a start from the pit lane, the Dutchman finished on the podium in the race.
“The race was pretty intense, with a lot of action,” explained Verstappen after crossing the finish line. “Of course I had to overtake a few cars because I started from the pit lane. Our pace was pretty strong throughout all stints, even if it was sometimes difficult to judge because of the traffic.”
The Red Bull star also had to deal with a puncture right at the start. “I had a puncture right at the beginning, so we had to stop again. It’s all the more incredible that we still ended up on the podium. I never expected that.”
Strong pace after set-up changes
Red Bull made extensive changes to the car overnight after the weak Saturday. “I think it was just everything together – set-up, balance, even the lower temperatures today. The car felt much better,” says Verstappen.
What was particularly striking was how aggressively the four-time world champion plowed through the field. “Of course you try to get past as quickly as possible, but some cars are stuck in a DRS train – it’s not always easy. Still, with everything that happened, to finish only around ten seconds behind the winner is an incredible result.”
Tire damage and catching up
Verstappen suffered a puncture in the first stint on the hard tires and fell back to the back of the field. “After that I was last again and thought to myself: ‘My God, this weekend is really not going for me at all.’ But then you just have to focus and make the most of it. We found the right strategy and everything worked in the end.”
He praises the interaction with his team: “We never give up. We always try to improve and find more lap times. Yesterday was very hard, but today we found the feeling in the car again.”
Verstappen: We didn’t lose the World Cup here
When asked whether the revised car now gives hope for the final races, Verstappen reacts cautiously: “It’s hard to say. The tracks are very different and we’re still struggling with the tires. It depends on the layout and the temperatures. We just have to do a better job of getting the car into the right window.”
He is realistic about the deficit in the championship. “We’re now, what, 49 points behind? We didn’t lose the World Championship here, but from race one to Zandvoort. There were many weekends where we just weren’t fast enough. Today was strong, but it’s not enough to compensate for that.”