Verstappen calls Sao Paulo GP podium 'incredible' for Red Bull
What's the story
Max Verstappen has called his third-place finish at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix an "incredible result." The Red Bull driver started from the pit lane but managed to fight his way through the field and secure a podium finish at Interlagos. Despite facing challenges such as a puncture and an early pit stop, Verstappen's strong pace helped him recover and challenge for second place in the closing stages of the race.
Race strategy
Verstappen's race strategy and on-track battles
Verstappen's race strategy involved a late pit stop for fresh soft tires, which allowed him to chase down the competition. He said he was "just trying to pass as fast as possible," adding that some cars were in a DRS train making it not always straightforward. Despite these challenges, he finished just 10 seconds behind the lead, calling it an "incredible" result for his team, as per the official F1 website.
Team spirit
Team spirit and championship battle
Reflecting on his team's resilience, Verstappen said during a press conference, "We are all in this together and we never give up. We take risks, yes, but I like that, to always try and be better because we don't want to settle for second." The result has pushed Red Bull up to third place in the Teams's Championship after Scuederia Ferrari's double retirement from the race.
Title prospects
Dutchman downplays chances of fighting for the title
Despite the podium finish, Verstappen is a whopping 49 points behind championship leader Lando Norris and 25 away from Oscar Piastri in second place. He downplayed his chances of fighting for the title, saying "It's too many points to really have a proper chance at that." The Dutchman admitted they gave away too many points from the start until mid-season but are now focused on finishing strong with good race weekends.
Do you know?
12th podium this season and 341 points on board
Verstappen clinched his 12th podium finish of the year. Overall, this was his 124th career podium finish in F1. Verstappen owns 341 points this season from 21 races and is behind the McLaren duo.