Max Verstappen "needs to understand what happened" after "night and day" F1 comeback in Brazilian GP
According to Max Verstappen, the balance of his Red Bull car felt completely different after the first stint. The Dutchman stresses that he is very much looking forward to a race at Interlagos without a grid penalty
Max Verstappen achieved an impressive comeback in the Brazilian Grand Prix, starting 21st on the grid and finishing second. However, his journey from the pit lane to the podium was not without challenges. Verstappen admitted to making a mistake on the line, having a slow reaction due to his clutch being engaged incorrectly. As he progressed through the first three corners, he encountered a traffic jam caused by other cars, limiting his ability to overtake.
Lewis Hamilton, driving for Ferrari, had a strong start and managed to pass several cars during the initial lap.
Verstappen's pace increased dramatically after the initial chaos, allowing him to overtake his championship rival, Hamilton, and several other competitors within just two laps. He attributed his rapid improvement to the enhanced grip his car provided compared to most of his rivals in the midfield. Despite this, Verstappen faced an issue with his car once they switched to slick tires during the pit stop.
The Dutchman noticed an extreme amount of oversteer in the high-speed corners, making it difficult to control the vehicle.
After the first set of pit stops, Verstappen's car began to feel unstable, indicating a potential problem with its aerodynamics. He expressed his concerns in the post-race press conference, stating that he would need to investigate whether his car had sustained damage or if there was an aero loss. Red Bull had acknowledged a loss of rear downforce based on data, but they were still uncertain about the exact cause or location of any damage.
Verstappen confirmed that the car felt night and day different from his first stint, suggesting an underlying issue with the vehicle.
Despite the challenges, Verstappen's ability to climb from 21st to second place earned him the Driver of the Day award. He acknowledged that this type of comeback had become almost a tradition at Interlagos, but he expressed a desire to start the race from a higher position next year. Verstappen believes that starting from a higher grid position would have significantly impacted his race performance.
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