Max Verstappen dismisses McLaren’s recent complaints, defending his actions in their ongoing on-track battles with Norris.
Max Verstappen made a bold move at the start in Austin, diving to the inside as he often does, attempting to pass Lando Norris ahead of him. However, in doing so, both drivers opened the door for a Ferrari victory with Charles Leclerc.
Carlos Sainz also capitalized on the strong race pace of the SF-24 to finish 2nd, leaving the triple world champion in 3rd place after a hard-fought, controversial battle with Norris. How can we explain this slightly underwhelming pace?
“It wasn’t our best race compared to the Sprint, for instance. We just struggled to find balance, to get grip. We couldn’t really brake or turn the car the way I wanted. So, quite early on, I realized we weren’t going to win the race. But I just tried to run my own race. I think we made the best strategy possible as a team. Then, it was just about surviving until the end. And of course, Lando came along. We had some really good battles, honestly. It was a lot of fun. But yes, overall, it was still quite a tough race for me.”
What about the first stint? There was a radio message about an issue that needed to be addressed during the pit stop. What was that?
“I have no idea. I didn’t ask. I just drove. The stop was short, so I still don’t know.”
His battle with Norris clearly defined this United States Grand Prix, with two key moments in the race. The first corner, to start with.
“There was a gap on the inside, so I went for it. That corner is very wide, which gives you many opportunities to go very wide or to try and go very tight. I chose the latter, and I still came out second! I started second, came out second from turn 1. This time, of course, Charles was ahead. I think it worked out quite well for me because Charles was faster anyway, so he just pulled away. From there, I just tried to run my own race.”
And at the end of the race? Norris was closing in with fresher tires…
“I just tried to do my best, to be honest. My balance wasn’t great. I wasn’t really… I wasn’t able to attack the corners. So yes, he was putting a lot of pressure on. But here, it’s a pretty cool track for defending. There are a lot of opportunities. So yes, it’s good for racing.”
And the moment when he passed on the outside?
“I think it’s pretty clear: you can’t overtake outside the white line. I mean, I’ve been caught out here as well, I think in 2017. I lost my podium that way. So I stayed calm and just tried to do my best after that to bring the car home, because it wasn’t easy with the tires and the situation I was in. But overall, I really enjoyed that battle we had.”
Lando overtook outside the track, but McLaren obviously responded by saying, “Max also went wide and forced the issue, as he often does.” What does he think of that reaction?
“They’ve been complaining a lot lately anyway, but the rules are very clear. Outside the white line, you can’t overtake. I’ve been penalized for that in the past as well, as I said.”
There were many five-second penalties because of turn 12, with cars going off-track and not giving the position back. Is there a solution for the future? Perhaps a gravel trap, like the one introduced in Austria earlier this year? Would that work?
“I mean, it could help, but we also have to manage the bikes that race here. They don’t like gravel, so you’d have to remove it again. And on track days, when people spin off, they don’t like it either. You’ve got amateur drivers, professional drivers. It costs a lot of money when you have to do that, and not all tracks can maintain it throughout the year. Yes, it would work, but on the other hand, I’m not sure it’s sustainable for the season.”
How satisfying is it to have extended your championship lead this weekend?
“It’s really positive. I was hoping for a bit more performance during the race, so we need to analyze why we weren’t as strong today. I think everyone was either better or at least the same as in the Sprint, and I felt we were definitely worse. I need to understand why, because right now, I don’t know.”
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Verstappen Hits Back: McLaren Complaints Are Endless Verstappen Hits Back: McLaren Complaints Are Endless
