Max Verstappen Exposes the Real Reason Behind His Failure to Overtake Kimi Antonelli for P2 at Brazil GP

Max Verstappen spoke candidly on the reasons behind his failed overtake against Kimi Antonelli for the P2 finish at the Brazil GP.

Max Verstappen Exposes the Real Reason Behind His Failure to Overtake Kimi Antonelli for P2 at Brazil GP

Kimi Antonelli and Max Verstappen (via Red Bull)

Max Verstappen was the driver to watch at the Brazilian GP as he achieved a terrific turnaround in results on race day. The Dutchman achieved a P3 finish despite starting the race from the pit lane and left the rivals in the dust.

Verstappen was on par for a race win if it wasn’t for his early race puncture that forced him to pit early and lose crucial positions. Moreover, the 28-year-old was unable to overtake Kimi Antonelli in the final laps as he could have achieved a P2 finish if he had successfully overtaken the rookie.

Kimi Antonelli put forth one of the more impressive performances at the Brazilian GP after finishing in P2 while starting from the front row. Antonelli did not make Max Verstappen‘s life easier on track despite the latter being on fresher soft tires.

The rookie held the P2 position for over 12 laps and did not let Verstappen by, as they ultimately finished in P2 and P3, respectively. Now, the reigning world champion opens up on the reasons behind his failed overtake at Interlagos.

Max Verstappen gained positions like crazy since the beginning of the race. Red Bull’s strategy contributed massively to the Dutchman’s stellar drive on Sunday. Verstappen boldly claimed that the team did the right strategy at the end of the day, and it paid off massively. The 28-year-old reckoned that his pace on the soft tires was good enough and he had a great shot at a P2 finish.

However, while overtaking George Russell for the P3 position, his tires were already worn out and losing grip. Then, after getting close to Kimi Antonelli, Max Verstappen had barely any pace left in the tires, and hence, they started to overheat. Ultimately, he lost a lot of grip when battling Antonelli for the runner-up finish and finally couldn’t best the rookie for the track position.

I think we did the right strategy at the end. Even on the soft, it seemed like it was OK. Just when you start getting close and I passed George, you already wear your tyres a bit. And then when I was getting close to Kimi, the tyres just started to overheat and you lose a lot of grip. 

Max Verstappen said, as reported by RacingNews365..

Max Verstappen claims he ‘definitely didn’t expect’ a podium finish in Brazil

Since the beginning of the Brazil weekend, Max Verstappen seemed to be on the back foot of performance. The Dutchman suffered from a Q1 exit after a very long time in his career and was not at all expecting any significant results.

Max Verstappen (via Red Bull)
Max Verstappen (via Red Bull)

However, Red Bull changed the power unit of the car along with multiple other things, which helped Verstappen achieve a dramatic turnaround in pace. As such, the 28-year-old revealed that a podium finish definitely did not seem in the cards for the Austrian constructor.

Max Verstappen recalled that driving on the soft tires was definitely more difficult than his stint on the mediums. Regardless, he enjoyed his outing at Interlagos as it was a super strong race from him in the end.

Verstappen continued that to achieve a podium finish after starting from the pit lane, and still being just 10 seconds behind the race leader, was a great result. The 28-year-old asserted that he did not expect such a great outing on the track, and his championship hopes certainly aren’t fully over yet.

The soft is a bit more difficult than the medium for that. But overall, a super strong race. Coming from the pit lane to the podium, 10, 11 seconds off the lead—I think for us it’s a very strong result and definitely didn’t expect that waking up.

Max Verstappen added..

The 2025 season has shaped up to be extremely interesting and cutthroat up until this point. Now with just three races left, and three drivers giving it their all for the driver’s title win, it will be even more exciting. Verstappen will aim to take the season race-by-race and still manage expectations on his title-winning chances.

Also Read: Lando Norris Reacts to ‘Crap Talkers’ After Dominant Interlagos triumph