The four-time champion, driving for Red Bull Racing, had started from the pit lane after his team opted for a full power-unit and setup overhaul.
The four-time champion, driving for Red Bull Racing, had started from the pit lane after his team opted for a full power-unit and setup overhaul.
From the off, Red Bull’s strategy looked brave. Verstappen had qualified in 16th after a shock Q1 exit and then accepted the pit-lane start to allow comprehensive changes, a move which also ended his slim hopes of defending the title.
He then sliced his way up the field to claim an impressive third place behind Lando Norris and Kimi Antonelli.
However, his attempt to overtake rookie Kimi Antonelli for second, following a clever move past George Russell, was cut short. “When I was getting close to Kimi, the tyres just started to overheat and you lose a lot of grip,” Verstappen said. “The soft is a bit more difficult than the medium for that.”
His run to the podium became even more remarkable given the opening setbacks. A slow puncture forced him into an early pit-stop on lap 7, yet he recovered to finish just 0.4 seconds behind Antonelli, who took second place for Mercedes F1 Team.
Verstappen attributed his inability to mount a final attack partly to the overheated soft compound that had offered strong pace earlier. “Just when you start getting close, you already wear your tyres a bit. And then, the tyres just started to overheat.” With that insight, the car’s performance in the closing laps ultimately limited his progress.
For Red Bull, the weekend offered a bittersweet glimpse of pace but also exposed how fine the margins are when it comes to tyre management. Despite the impressive recovery, Verstappen admitted his title defence was effectively over. The result nonetheless underlined both his and the team’s resilience, even if the final climb to victory proved out of reach.
