"18 More Points Than Last Year" – Verstappen Relishes P2 Result

Despite tough conditions and a daring strategy, Max Verstappen secured P2 in Melbourne, keeping his title hopes alive despite Red Bull’s struggles.

Last year in Melbourne, Max Verstappen didn’t even finish the race. This time, he came close to victory, defying the odds with a less competitive Red Bull and challenging conditions.

The Dutch driver was right on Lando Norris’ tail in the final lap, within DRS range. But this time, the McLaren driver held his nerve under pressure.

Disappointed? Not Really.

For the first time in over 1,000 days, Verstappen is no longer leading the championship. Does that bother him?

“Not really, to be honest. I just tried my best, stayed close, and put some pressure on, but overtaking here is really tough. There was only one racing line.”

Could he have overtaken Norris on that final lap?

“Even if I had lined up an attack into Turn 9, I would’ve had to go onto the wet part of the track, so there wasn’t much I could do. But at least it was close—it must have been exciting to watch on TV.”

A Bold Strategy Call in the Rain

Before the final safety car, Verstappen and Red Bull made a daring strategy call when rain returned in the second half of the race—staying out longer on slick tires.

“It was actually two extra laps! We were on Mediums, and you never know how things will play out. But I thought it was a reasonable call with 15, 16, or even 20 laps to go when the safety car came out. Then, of course, the rain started falling. I saw Lando and Oscar make mistakes in front of me, but I managed to keep it clean. When I saw Oscar rejoining the track, I thought, ‘Okay, let’s stay out—it’s only three wet corners, the rest is still dry.’”

“The first two sectors were still good—I just had to survive the final sector. I believed it could work. Even if the others caught up on intermediates, they’d still need to pit again for slicks if the rain didn’t get worse. So, it was worth a shot. I went for another lap, but unfortunately, the second sector became too wet, and we had to pit.”

“Looking back, it wouldn’t have changed anything. If I had pitted at the same time as Lando, I’d still be second. If I had waited another lap, I’d still be second. And in the end, when I did pit, I was still second. We took a chance—it could have worked. In a way, it didn’t, but we didn’t lose anything, so it’s fine.”

A Strong Podium Despite Lack of Pace

Given Red Bull’s struggles, Verstappen was prepared for a tougher result—perhaps P5 or P6. Instead, he managed to secure a crucial second place, minimizing the damage in the championship.

“I think this is a good result compared to the teams behind us. But looking at the first stint, we were struggling. As soon as the tires started overheating, we had no chance. McLaren just pulled away. We still have a lot of work to do if we want to fight for wins.”

“But yeah, I’m happy with P2 here. It’s one place better than we deserved, and it’s 18 more points than I scored here last year (when he retired with an engine failure).”

A tough weekend, a bold strategy, and a hard-fought podium—Verstappen may not have won, but he made the most of it.