max verstappen Claimed his fifth Formula 1 win of the year at the United States Grand Prix – three of which have come after the summer break.
With two pole positions and two wins in Texas – including the sprint – Verstappen increased the pressure on both mclaren Drivers in the championship battle. The leading Red Bull driver has now reduced his deficit to just 40 points, down from 64 points. oscar piastri Over the last four race weekends. He admitted that this was a change he had never even thought about.
Asked if he would have believed anyone who predicted this scenario after his home grand prix, Verstappen replied: “No. I would have told him he was an idiot!”
“We found a good way with the car. It’s as simple as that. Of course, we made some upgrades to the car, but we also understood our car a little better – where we wanted it to perform better. Every weekend we try to achieve that. Some weekends it’s better than others, but in general the last few weekends it has been more simple than the earlier races.”
The Dutchman lauded a “perfect weekend” in Austin, although he stressed that the difference in performance to McLaren was much less than the results.
“What was important was the first stint in which I could make a bit of a difference,” said the Red Bull driver. “After that, it basically became pretty steady until the end after the pitstop.
charles leclerc, ferrari, max verstappen, red bull racing
Photo by: Jack Mauger/LAT Images via Getty Images
“I think tire management was very important, and it was not very straightforward because there were some laps where you had a very different feel or balance, grip – better or worse. It’s one of those days when you just need to try and not make any mistakes.”
Verstappen managed to do just that, but admitted a battle midway through lando norris And charles leclerc has helped. This gave the reigning world champion some respite and a good opportunity to take care of his tyres. Verstappen knows it would have been a different story if Norris had held his position at the start.
“I think it would have been a very close race then,” commented the Dutchman. “Whenever Lando was in clear air, we were pretty even. Maybe sometimes he was a little faster. So the difference wasn’t there in the end.”
Although Red Bull’s set-up changes had the desired effect and Verstappen’s race pace was significantly better during the sprint, he was still not completely satisfied afterwards: “Today it was a little better, even if it’s still not where I wanted it.”
Most importantly, Verstappen knows exactly what it takes to have a real shot at a fifth consecutive title, let alone a few Michael Schumacher achieved so far.
“We need to be perfect until the end to have a chance,” he insisted. “We have achieved a lot, but at the same time, the gaps are very short. Every weekend you need to try and be perfect, and that’s what we will try to do until the end.”
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