Nov.10 (GMM) Max Verstappen produced one of the drives of the season in Brazil, storming from the pitlane to the podium after a disastrous qualifying that left him P16 – prompting a gamble on a pitlane start and big setup change.
“That was damage limitation at the highest level,” Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko told ORF, as the reigning quadruple world champion clawed back crucial points in a race that at least keeps his title chances alive.
But the recurring question – why Red Bull’s form swings so wildly – remains unanswered. Former driver Ralf Schumacher told Sky Deutschland that the problem lies in the Pirelli tyres.
“I spoke with Jos, who said that you can’t imagine how difficult it is to get these tyres into their optimal operating window,” Schumacher said. “That would explain why Mercedes and sometimes McLaren have problems.
“Nevertheless, that shouldn’t be the case for a top team that has won so many world championships.”
Marko agreed. “We need to widen the operating window,” he admitted.
“If it’s four degrees warmer, the car already starts to slip. There’s a discrepancy between simulation and reality – I hope we can sort that out for the final races.
“Unfortunately, we lost another 10 points to Norris.”
Despite the frustration, Verstappen’s recovery drive impressed the paddock. Brazil has often been a happy hunting ground for the Dutchman, and once again he sliced through the field with apparent ease.
“I don’t know why,” Verstappen smiled. “It’s not a particularly long circuit. It actually has eight corners, but you have to be very precise and drive cleanly. It’s tough on the tyres. I don’t know myself – it always feels good, though.”
Even Lando Norris, who dominated the weekend to extend his championship lead, acknowledged Verstappen’s brilliance.
“To be honest, seeing how quick Max was today – I’m pretty disappointed we weren’t quicker,” the McLaren driver told reporters.
Verstappen, though, has long accepted that his title chances were slipping away. “We didn’t lose the championship here,” he told Viaplay on Sunday. “We lost the championship from race one until Zandvoort.
“We had a lot of weekends where we simply weren’t quick enough. Then you have good moments where you get some points back, but not enough. That’s how the season goes.”
Still, Red Bull team boss Laurent Mekies insists the team will fight to the end. “The most important thing is that the car came back to life,” he said. “We were able to fight again and set good lap times.
“We’re trying to give him a more relaxed weekend in Las Vegas – but with the speed we had here on Sunday.”
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