Verstappen lashes out: 'Hard for Mercedes not to hit Red Bull'

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verstappen critical of russell after sprint race baku
29 April 2023 at 16:23
Last update 29 April 2023 at 16:30
  • GPblog.com

Max Verstappen crossed the finish line third in the Baku sprint race, despite the gaping hole left in the side of the RB19 by George Russell's Mercedes. In the post-race press conference, Verstappen explained to GPblog and others that it was apparently difficult for the German team 'not to hit Red Bulls'.

Asked if he allowed Russell enough space himself in the early stages of the race, Verstappen replied in the affirmative. "In my opinion, he did. I mean, we came through the corner without him hitting the wall on the inside. So I think I left enough space, but apparently, it is difficult for them not to hit a Red Bull car," the Red Bull Racing driver stated.

Verstappen lashes out at Mercedes

Given the damage to his RB19, third place is still quite an achievement for Verstappen, whose race from that point on was far from ideal. " The car jumped around a lot and skidded in some weird places," explained the two-time world champion. "I have to look at the data to know exactly how much damage was done."

"It's not great, and of course, you try to close the gap a bit. Of course, you are constantly in dirty air, and I think my tyres got a bit too hot at one point, too," Verstappen said.