F1 News
Verstappen positive about Red Bull: 'More competitive than in Austria'.
- GPblog.com
Max Verstappen won the French Grand Prix with flying colours. With Charles Leclerc dropping out, the Red Bull Racing driver felt no pressure at the head of the field. It was not an ideal race in the heat, but Verstappen is happy with the win.
Verstappen not on the limit
The heat in France created a challenge at the Paul Ricard circuit. Lewis Hamilton's hydration system failed and the Briton was visibly exhausted. At Viaplay, the reigning world champion was asked how he felt after the race. Verstappen: "It was quite hot, it's hard to drive those last 20 laps on the limit." Luckily, the Dutchman had no pressure from the car behind, so was able to regulate his pace and not worry too much about the heat.
Red Bull more competitive than in Austria
Things were different at the start of the race when Verstappen had to chase Leclerc: "We were very close behind [Leclerc] and then the tyres get too hot. Then you have to let him go a bit. It looked good for us, but in the end, it's guesswork how he would be on that other tyre. In any case, I think we were more competitive than in Austria." Verstappen's second phase of the race at the lead were very different: "It was more looking at safety. The 'two-stop' was ideal here, the 'one-stop' a lot more difficult."