Verstappen puts his manoeuvres down to the car and track: You can use alternative lines here
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Max Verstappen has started from the back of the field at Interlagos three times in a row and fought his way onto the podium on each occasion. Combine the Brazilian circuit, rain and Max’s talent, and the result is something special. Max himself, however, took a very pragmatic view of his moves in the opening stages of the race.
According to Verstappen, Red Bull simply had far more grip than the midfield cars in the opening stages. That, he believes, explains why he was so quick early on, passing one rival after another. We nevertheless believe Max’s immense talent was also a very important factor in this case.
“After the laps to the grid, I felt pretty confident. I went out and I was like, ‘Oh, low grip’. But then I actually had some cars around me and I was like, ‘No, I think we actually have a lot of grip’,” Verstappen said after the Brazilian race.
“Within two laps, I was just flying by cars, almost every corner. We had a lot more grip, I guess, than most in the midfield. I don’t know what lap I was in the top 10, but it all happened very quickly,” the Dutch champion said.
His delight at having such a strong car did not last long, however. As it turned out, Red Bull’s performance once again “deteriorated” and Verstappen’s charge gradually slowed. In the second half of the race, he was no longer quicker than the rivals around him. Early on, it looked as though the Dutchman could challenge for victory, but he gradually slipped out of the spotlight, attracting less attention from both viewers and the television director.
“I knew that the balance we had was there, and that also showed in the first few laps. Unfortunately, that then completely disappeared after the first stint, but luckily at least in the first stint the car was working, and that allowed me to be in this position,” Max said.
“We have to understand why or what went wrong with the car as soon as we went to the slick tyres, because even when I switched back to the Inter tyres at the end, the car was night and day different to my first stint, which shows that there is something wrong,” Verstappen added.
Interlagos simply suits Max, especially in the wet. Yet he describes his approach to driving at this circuit as though it were the simplest and most natural thing in the world. “I felt comfortable with the car, confident, just trying to find the grip in different places. Then the car is ahead of me, so I try to pass them. This track, of course, also allows you to do different lines, which I think is great because it really helps the racing. It’s a good track in the dry and wet, and that really sets up more overtaking opportunities,” Verstappen said.
“You need to feel good in the car. You need to feel comfortable to be able to risk probably a little bit more, and it’s been working for me quite well here,” Max added.
