Verstappen labels controversial battle with Norris as 'fun' after US GP
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Max Verstappen finished in third at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin. The Red Bull driver finished behind both Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz but still extended his gap out front in the championship standings. Championship rival Lando Norris finished behind him in fourth place after he was given a five-second time penalty in the latter stages. In the post-race press conference, Max Verstappen reflected on the Grand Prix, stating that he knew a win wasn't on the cards almost immediately.
Red Bull's weekend rundown: Will they be satisfied?
Ahead of the weekend, Verstappen and Red Bull's hopes were fully on the United States Grand Prix. The Milton Keynes-based team had even cancelled their scheduled special livery for the event in an attempt to save weight and battle with their rivals. With some modifications to the RB20 at a track where Red Bull and Verstappen have always performed in the past, the world champions hoped to regain the momentum.
They succeded to a degree, but their results wouldn't have satisfied them. A win for Verstappen in the sprint race was the first time Red Bull had returned to the top step in any form since their last victory at the Spanish Grand Prix in June. A second-place finish in qualifying for the Dutchman put Red Bull in prime position to win Sunday's Grand Prix. In reality, the Ferraris were much faster than Red Bull and McLaren. Verstappen overtook Norris in the first corner on the first lap, but lost out to Charles Leclerc, who passed the pair. Norris finished ahead of Verstappen on track but was given a five-second time penalty for allegedly overtaking the Dutchman off the track.
Verstappen: 'This was not our best race'
In the post-race press conference, Verstappen was content but wasn't entirely happy with his Sunday. "I think today wasn't the best race for us compared to yesterday, for example. Yeah, just struggling for balance, for grip, and couldn't really brake, or rotate the car. Quite quickly, I realised that we were not going to win the race but just try to do my own race," Verstappen began.
"I think we did the best strategy we could as a team, and then it was just surviving to the end. And then, of course, Lando arrived. We had some really good battles. Honestly, it was really a lot of fun. But overall, it was still quite a tough race for me," the three-time world champion added.
Verstappen's third-place finish meant that he gained a further three points over his closest rival, Lando Norris. The difference between the two drivers currently stands at 57 points with five races to go. Norris still has a mountain to climb, but you can never say never in Formula 1.
This article was written in collaboration with Jeroen Immink
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