Verstappen on cruise control to victory: 'Having a bit of fun at the end'

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max verstappen reaction after sprint race at the united states grand prix
21 October 2023 at 23:53
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  • Olly Darcy
  • Editor

Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton did try in the early stages, but Max Verstappen came, saw and conquered in the sprint race in the United States. In qualifying, the difference between the Red Bull Racing driver and the competition was minimal. But in the 19-lap sprint race, everything was different, and Verstappen was happy with the new victory.

With more than nine seconds ahead, he finished ahead of Lewis Hamilton, who crossed the finish line in second place.

Still, at the start, it was a bit of a caution with Leclerc in particular. "It was quite tight. Luckily, there was a lot of space going into Turn 1, so that helps," Verstappen said in conversation with David Coulthard. "After that, we could do our own race and control the pace a bit. We then had a bit of fun at the end, pushing a bit more."

This was evident when comparing Verstappen's final lap time with Hamilton's. The difference? One and a half seconds. Still, it took several laps to get that same Hamilton out of the DRS. "The DRS with such big wings on this track, it's quite powerful. Once I cleared the DRS, we all settled in our own rhythm, and I think the pace of our car was very good."

Starting from P6

Sunday's challenge will be a little trickier for Verstappen. He will have to start from sixth place, which means he has to overtake five cars to secure another win. "Starting P6 is going to be a bit different than today. It makes it interesting, and hopefully, we can have a bit of fun. Of course, we want to win."