Max Verstappen in Lando Norris had a candid conversation about their racing experiences after the Dutch Grand Prix.
Despite a good start, Verstappen could not prevent Norris from overtaking him on lap eighteen and eventually winning with a lead of almost 23 seconds.
The drivers discussed the challenging start in the ‘cool down room’. Verstappen asked Norris: “A bit of wheelspin?”, to which Norris replied: “Straight away!”
The two drivers also exchanged information about the performance of their cars on different tyre compounds. Verstappen admitted: “On the mediums it was okay, but on the hard tyre…”
Charles Leclerc, who finished third, asked Verstappen about his deficit to Norris. Verstappen answered honestly: “20 seconds or something, 22 seconds.”
After the race, Verstappen acknowledged McLaren’s superiority: “We had a good start. We tried everything we could today, but during the race it was clear that we were not fast enough. I tried to finish second today.”
Despite the defeat, Verstappen remains positive: “I know we have good starts, so I was confident we would have another one. Luckily we did. And yes, I just tried to drive my own race and that’s how I came second.”
Norris scored a perfect 26 points by also driving the fastest lap, extending Verstappen’s lead in the championship reduced to 70 points. Norris: “We always try to do better.”
Current standings Formula 1 World Championship after Zandvoort