Despite starting in fourth place, Max Verstappen still managed to win the sprint race in a fairly dominant manner.
During the initial phase of the race, Max Verstappen did not immediately manage to make up places, Verstappen only managed to benefit from the fact that pole sitter Lando Norris made a bad start and ended up off the track. After a difficult initial phase of the race, Verstappen eventually managed to win the race very smoothly.
“The first laps were quite hectic, they were pushing hard at the front,” Verstappen said after the sprint race. “And I had Carlos behind me on new tires but after a few laps we got stronger and I got a better feeling with the balance of the car and I could pay a little more attention to my tires.”
What Verstappen realizes during the rest of the race weekend is that he is a bit cautious. He obviously hopes to have a better qualification than that for the sprint race. Moreover, changing weather conditions, and especially the wind, can play an important role in the further course of the race weekend.
“Qualifying is important to get a good starting position and that helps in the first laps of the race. The wind shifts a lot and that makes it quite difficult to drive.”