Relieved Red Bulls ace Max Verstappen revealed that he struggled for pace to win the Canadian Grand Prix under intense pressure from Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari.
Starting from pole, he had to defend like mad for 15 laps after a late safety car allowed Sainz to fit fresh tyres on Sunday.
Having hung on in his 150th GP, the 24-year-old says: “That safety car didn’t help me. [Sainz] had fresh tyres and those last 15 laps were flat out and when it is like that you can’t make a mistake.
O'Canada... ❤️🤍❤️
— Formula 1 (@F1) June 20, 2022
It felt good to be back making memories in Montreal 🤩#CanadianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/N6Yn9s6YnF
“I would have preferred to have been attacking at the end, instead of defending, but luckily for us it all worked out and it was very exciting.”
Verstappen and Sainz were joined on the podium by Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton as the Dutchman stretched his drivers’ championship lead over teammate Sergio Perez, who retired with transmission problems, to 46 points.
O'Canada... ❤️🤍❤️
— Formula 1 (@F1) June 20, 2022
It felt good to be back making memories in Montreal 🤩#CanadianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/N6Yn9s6YnF
Driver (TEAM) Pts
1 Max Verstappen (Red Bull) 175
2 Sergio Perez (Red Bull) 129
3 Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) 126
4 George Russell (Mercedes) 111
5 Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) 102
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