Verstappen admits 'we just still lack a little bit' after Madrid second

Verstappen profits from misfortune in Madrid

Max Verstappen secured Red Bull's fifth podium in seven races with second place in Madrid, but admitted the team “isn't exactly back” — instead benefiting from others' misfortune at a track with limited overtaking opportunities, something he acknowledged.

“We profit sometimes a little bit from some misfortune of others, but we are also trying to really maximize and sometimes, maybe, yes, slightly overperform,” Verstappen said when asked about the RB22's competitiveness at upcoming tracks. “And that's good. That's the only thing that we can do at the moment.”

Throughout the three Madring practice sessions, Verstappen never finished higher than fifth. He did go quickest in Q2 but ultimately qualified third behind Norris and Antonelli. Verstappen walked away happy with that result on Saturday, though noting: “There were not really things that I left on the table, just more like a few limitations within the car that we know we have, plus the deployment in the final sector where we just didn't seem to maybe fully get it right.”

Turn 1 contact and a let-by

Heading into Sunday, drivers were already raising the lack of overtaking opportunities at Madring. Verstappen made one of the few passes as he overtook Antonelli, but had to drop back after cutting the first turn in a battle with Hamilton and concerns about whether he gained a position by leaving the track. Even Antonelli was confused when Verstappen let him past, as he felt the overtake was normal.

“I would have had damage at the start if I would have stayed on track, so then the win was also not on. It's as simple as that,” Verstappen said. “I just did my own thing in Turn 1, but Lewis went for a move on the first two and bottomed out on the curb, so he just jumped back onto the track, and that's why I had to go off the road. If I would have stayed there, I would have definitely had contact. So, then my race could have potentially been over in Turn 2, and that's why I think, where we are now, I'm happy to be.”

Verstappen ultimately finished second after Norris fell on the unlucky side of pitting when the virtual safety car period ended. The Dutchman felt they “maximized the result” and noted he maybe was a bit lucky because of what happened to Norris.

“I didn't have the pace of Kimi and I definitely did not have the pace of Lando,” he said. “So yeah, we're here on the podium and I think that's, of course, great, but yeah, we just still lack a little bit to really fight for the win. Because it might have looked a little bit like we were in a fight for the win, but that was more because Kimi was getting held up by Charles. Because as soon as he had clean air, he just drove away from me again and I was busy with Lando behind me.”