Max Verstappen blamed a single pre-qualifying setup gamble for having his championship benefit over Lando Norris shaved once more on the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, however was trying on the brilliant facet nonetheless as his rival additionally completed off the rostrum.
Verstappen certified an underwhelming sixth however had an open purpose so as to add factors to his benefit over title rival Lando Norris, who was knocked out of qualifying in seventeenth. However not solely did the Dutchman battle to maneuver ahead within the race, he was additionally handed by Norris on the finish of the latter’s mammoth restoration drive within the closing laps of the day.
The pair completed fourth and fifth, and with Norris additionally taking a degree for quickest lap, Verstappen noticed his benefit shrink to 59 factors, down from 62 forward of the weekend.
“I feel we simply paid the value with the adjustments that we made into qualifying,” Verstappen lamented. “That simply made it actually tough to drive.
“The automobile was leaping round quite a bit. The wheels have been coming off the bottom within the corners. Whenever you don’t have a contact patch with the tarmac, it’s very tough.
“You win and lose as a staff. We thought it will be a great route to enter and in the long run it wasn’t.”
Crimson Bull Racing additionally misplaced management of the constructors’ championship for the primary time because the 2022 Miami Grand Prix, with Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez crashing out with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz within the closing laps.
“After all it’s by no means good to see that,” Verstappen stated. “It didn’t assist what occurred with Checo and Carlos. I’m certain that we are able to do higher. The struggle shouldn’t be over but. We’ll attempt to get that again.”
Regardless of his frustration, Verstappen recognized a number of positives from the afternoon, together with his teammate’s type, with the Mexican having regarded sure for a podium trophy earlier than his late crash.
“I feel we discovered quite a bit,” he stated. “At the moment confirmed with Checo, when he was a bit happier and the automobile was performing a bit higher, we’re in that struggle,” he stated. “OK, we didn’t win, however we have been in that struggle with Checo, so I feel any more we might be in that struggle if we hold bettering the automobile step-by-step.”
He additionally took coronary heart that McLaren couldn’t execute the type of flawless weekend required for Norris to overtake him within the title standings. The Briton now wants a mean of greater than eight factors per spherical to win the title by Abu Dhabi — greater than the distinction in factors between first and second, which means Norris’s championship hopes at the moment are not completely in his personal palms.
“I feel [McLaren] may have accomplished a greater job,” he stated. “I feel if we do a greater job ourselves, they should have an ideal finish to the yr.
“It was in all probability optimistic [as a result] for me. I’d after all have preferred to increase the hole, however with our race right now I’m nonetheless completely satisfied that it was solely that.”
