Max Verstappen, Red Bull, Interlagos, 2022

Verstappen ‘would have been too slow’ even if he’d started on soft tyre

2022 Brazilian Grand Prix

Posted on

| Written by

Max Verstappen is not convinced the decision to start the Brazilian Grand Prix sprint race on the medium tyre compound cost him a chance to win the race.

The Red Bull driver was the only one of the front-runners to start the race on the medium compound. The others around him, including team mate Sergio Perez, opted for the softs.

Verstappen kept his second place at the start and soon took the lead off surprise pole-winner Kevin Magnussen. However he came under attack from George Russell, who passed him to take the win.

Carlos Sainz Jnr then also passed the Red Bull driver, leaving him with front wing damage as he did. Lewis Hamilton pounced on Verstappen too, leaving him in fourth place at the flag.

Verstappen said the medium tyre compound hadn’t worked as well as expected but didn’t believe the soft tyre would have been any better for him.

“At the time I felt alright but somehow it didn’t work,” he told Sky. “But I think even on the soft tyre I was going to be too slow.

“We’re clearly just having way too much degradation here today. We’ll analyse it. I’m not sure we can do a lot for tomorrow, but I mean, it can’t be worse than today’s.”

The Red Bull driver will start tomorrow’s Brazilian Grand Prix from third on the grid after Sainz’s grid penalty. However he remains concerned about his car’s performance over a stint.

“We’ll look at it tonight [but] at the end of the day, when you have so much more degradation than another team it doesn’t matter what you put on. So I think we just need to try and improve that first. Normally every tyre should work.”

Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and go ad-free

2022 Brazilian Grand Prix

Browse all 2022 Brazilian Grand Prix articles

Author information

Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

Got a potential story, tip or enquiry? Find out more about RaceFans and contact us here.

13 comments on “Verstappen ‘would have been too slow’ even if he’d started on soft tyre”

  1. That’s some hope for a good race for tomorrow.

  2. Not buying it. He’ll be quicker than Mercs tomorrow on the same compounds.

    1. Yeah, Perez showed the pace was there – he just did not pass Max because he knew the team wouldn’t allow him to – and I think that was the right call, since Max could otherwise well have dropped behind Leclerc as well.

      1. He didn’t pass Max because he wasn’t fast enough. Never came closer than 1,6 seconds… That is too far away. And Leclerc was within 2 seconds of Perez so it could have meant losing another position too.

  3. If RB have 2 cars comfortably out front tomorrow, will they let PER win?

    1. They won’t give easy time for PER over VER. Definitely not if VER is leading the race. I suspect they won’t do this even if they are running as 3 and 4.

    2. Dutch reporter Louis Dekker asked Verstappen about that one or two races ago, prompting Verstappen to point out that if Pérez is second he’s still ahead of Leclerc. I doubt he’s interested in giving up wins.

    3. If RB have 2 cars comfortably out front tomorrow, will they let PER win?

      Option 1: Give Perez the better position and points so that an average driver can finish in the WDC standings higher than Leclerc (without help from Ferrari cocking up again)
      Option 2: Let Verstappen go and set some new record for the season.

      Which one best demonstrates that they overspent on the car development?

      BTW. Congrats to K-Mag for hanging on to a points paying position.

    4. Coventry Climax
      12th November 2022, 22:04

      What do you think this is? Christmas or motorracing?
      And that’s the exact same thing I thought when I heard Perez ask for Verstappen’s position.

      1. After all. Max is *entitled*. Perez acts as a sacrificial blocker for Max – that’s (sadly) “motor racing” to some. Paying the favour back with nothing to lose? Nope. Entitled.

      2. Davethechicken
        13th November 2022, 8:49

        The irony and double standards there Coventry! you seemingly haven’t noticed that RBR order Max’s teammates to move over and let him by all the time? It isn’t even mentioned anymore when it happens, such is the frequency.

  4. Verstappen had the same issue vs Leclerc in Austria, also a Sprint Race. Maybe the Red Bull is difficult to set up, and they need all 3 Practice Sessions to get it right?

    1. Maybe the Red Bull is difficult to set up,

      Max complained about front end grip, something he’s complained about for much of the season.
      Should be better next season as he’s told Pirelli what he wants.

Comments are closed.