Max Verstappen reveals moment of ‘panic’ from Australian GP
Max Verstappen opened up over a moment full of panic as he made his way to secure second place at the Australian GP.
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Max Verstappen (via Red Bull)
Max Verstappen and Red Bull were expected face a difficult weekend at the Australian GP. Though, things seemed better than anticipated after the Dutch driver had a real shot at victory against Lando Norris. Yet, it was not enough as the Red Bull RB21 lacked pace to defeat the McLaren. Now, Verstappen has pinpointed the moment he went into panic mode during the race.
Midway through the race, Max Verstappen was chasing race-leader Lando Norris and second-placed Oscar Piastri, when rain came back on-track. Both McLaren cars lost control with Piastri getting stuck in the grass, while Norris lost crucial time to Verstappen.
The reigning world champion claimed that this was the moment when he panicked over the track conditions. The Red Bull star thought that he had to pit to avoid making such a mistake. However, when the two McLarens did pit for intermediates, Max Verstappen decided to stay out on slick tires.
It started to rain a bit, they went off, and it was a bit like a panic, like ‘oh, I need to box.’ So they went in. I stayed out.
Max Verstappen said, as quoted by PlanetF1
Verstappen insisted that things were fine on the first lap as he carefully managed the car. Unfortunately, the weather only got worse, making it more difficult for the Dutch driver. As such, he was forced to pit shortly afterwards with the bold gamble made by the pit wall failing to an extent. Nevertheless, he remained in second place.
The first lap, honestly, I think it was alright. But then, unfortunately, yeah, the weather continued a little bit more on the other side of the track as well. And we then have to box.
Max Verstappen noted
Max Verstappen reveals reason for making tire gamble
Formula 1 is an intense sport with drivers having to make decisions in a matter of seconds. Max Verstappen and Red Bull remained content over the gamble they took on the slick tires, despite the result as the Dutchman explained the process behind the decision.
The reigning world champion stated that he thought it was sensible to continue on slicks with only around 15 laps to go. Verstappen hoped that he could make one less pitstop by this gamble and gain the lead of the race. Moreover, he pointed out that he decided to take this risk after seeing Piastri rejoin the track.
You never know how that’s gonna work out. I thought it was quite a sensible call with whatever… 15/16 laps to go, and yeah, then, of course, it started to rain. I saw them go off in front of me. I kept it clean, and when I saw Oscar rejoining, I was like, ‘Well, let’s stay out,’
Max Verstappen explained
Max Verstappen claimed that at that point, only a few corners were really wet with the rest of the track being dry. The Dutch driver highlighted that the first two sectors were dry when he stayed out. With only the final sector being the real problem.
It was only those three corners. The rest was still dry, because then when I continued, basically, the first two sectors were fine. It was just if I could survive the final sector.
Max Verstappen noted
Nevertheless, the 27-year-old did not lose much time after pitting later. He found himself right at the gearbox of Norris in the final two laps, hoping to make a move. Albeit, Max Verstappen’s RB21 simply did not have the pace to overtake the Briton in that less time.
Australian GP not a bad weekend for Max Verstappen
The four-time world champion had warned fans that 2025 will be an even more difficult season for Milton Keynes than last year. However, the Australian GP had a handful of positives for Max Verstappen even if he could not take victory.
The Dutch driver was ahead of Mercedes and Ferrari in terms of pure pace, signaling that Red Bull might have the second quickest car for the time being. Although, Verstappen’s new teammate, Liam Lawson was a no show as he crashed out in a disappointing debut for the Austrian team.
On the other hand, the race will serve as a boost for Max Verstappen. The 27-year-old will recognize that he does have the pace to fight the two McLarens on a consistent basis. While, Red Bull will be looking to extract more pace out of the RB21 in hopes of potentially matching the Woking-based team.
Certainly, fans would hope that Max Verstappen remains a real contender for the world title this season with a close battle upfront. As the Red Bull star will leave no stone unturned to potentially claim a fifth world championship in a row.
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