Max Verstappen: Three horrors in the winning car / Formula 1

From the outside it always looks very easy: Max Verstappen took the lead from pole position with a good start and seems to easily pull away from his rivals.

But it’s often in Formula 1 racing that we don’t hear about the little hidden dramas. Fortunately, current 58-time GP winner Verstappen is honest in this regard as well.

After winning at the Shanghai International Circuit, the three-time Formula 1 champion revealed that he had to question his three-time victory.

Max says: “We haven’t raced here for years, and the long race weekends are a bit hectic. So I wasn’t sure what to expect from Shanghai.”

“Of course you always hope that you have a fast car and that everything would go well, and when we think of victories in races and Grand Prix, it seems like that, but it wasn’t.”

“Actually, there were three times when I was worried about the victory. On the second restart I left one wheel standing in turn 6. That was not good. Then I took the tear visor out of the helmet and it got caught in the box door of air, I could feel it flying through the hood. You never know where it’s going to end up and what might clog it.”

“Two laps before the end of the race I hit the debris at a speed of 300, that was before I turned 14. That scared me. Because you want to break the tire at high speed with a cut tire with carbon parts.”

“When it comes to the balance of the car, I don’t know anything that could have been better. The car was better than in the sprint. We did a really good job there.”

“I thought both safety car phases lasted too long. And basically it was a shame that the Grand Prix had to be stopped. “If the race had been normal, we would have seen more different strategies from the drivers, and that would have been more exciting.”

“We can fly to Florida with a good time result, but Miami is a completely different race from the last five slopes. Different layout, different tire compounds, different piste surface, different weather conditions. If only we get the best set-up car we can imagine winning in the USA.

China-GP, Shanghai International Circuit

01. Max Verstappen (NL), Red Bull Racing, 1:40:52,554 h
02. Lando Norris (GB), McLaren, +13.773
03. Sergio Pérez (MEX), Red Bull Racing, +19,160
04. Charles Leclerc (MC), Ferrari, +23,623
05. Carlos Sainz (E), Ferrari, +33,983
06. George Russell (GB), Mercedes, +38,724
07. Fernando Alonso (E), Aston Martin, +43,414
08. Oscar Piastri (AUS), McLaren, +56.198
09. Lewis Hamilton (GB), Mercedes, +57,986
10. Nico Hülkenberg (D), Haas, +1:00,476 min
11. Esteban Ocon (F), Alpine, +1:02,812
12. Alex Albon (T), Williams, +1:05,506
13. Pierre Gasly (F), Alpine, +1:09,223
14. Guanyu Zhou (RCH), Sauber, +1:11,689
15. Lance Stroll (CDN), Aston Martin, +1:22,768
16. Kevin Magnussen (DK), Haas, +1:27.553
17. Logan Sargeant (USA), Williams, +1:35,110
outside
Daniel Ricciardo (AUS), Racing Bull, collision
Yuki Tsunoda (J), Racing Bulls, Collision
Valtteri Bottas (FIN), clean, engine

World Championship Position (after 5 out of 24 Grands Prix and 1 out of 6 Sprints)

the driver
01. Verstappen 110 points
02. Perez 85
03. Leclerc 76
04. Sainz 69
05. Norris 58
06. Plate 38
07. Russell 33
08. Alonso 31
09. Hamilton 19
10. Walk 9
11. Tsunoda 7
12. Oliver Bearman (GB) 6
13. Hulkenberg 4
14. Magnussen 1
15. Alboni 0
16. Okon 0
17. Zhou 0
18. Ricciardo 0
19. 0 gas
20. Bota 0
21. Sergeant 0

Builders Cup
01. Red Bull Racing 195 Punkte
02. Ferrari 151
03. McLaren 96
04. Mercedes 52
05. Aston Martin 40
06. Running Bull 7
07. Exactly 5
08. Williams 0
09. Alpine 0
10. Sauber 0