A relieved Max Verstappen admitted he struggled for pace in his Red Bull on Sunday after withstanding late pressure from Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz to win the Canadian Grand Prix.
The 24-year-old Dutchman, who started his 150th F1 race from pole position, had to defend himself vigilantly in his Red Bull against the Ferrari for 15 laps after a late safety car allowed the Spaniard to Fit new medium compound tyres.
“That safety car didn’t help me,” Verstappen said. “He had fresh tires and those last 15 laps were flat out and when it’s like that you can’t go wrong.
“I would have preferred to attack at the end, instead of defending, but luckily for us everything went well and it was very exciting.”
Canadian Grand Prix: Max Verstappen Holds off Carlos Sainz to Claim Title
Verstappen now leads Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez, who retired with transmission problems, by 46 points in the title chase.
He admitted he never felt comfortable in racing.
“It was generally a very tough race and I really wanted more pace from the car. The Ferrari was very strong and I really had to match it.
“He had more pace than me. Absolutely, today. But the two teams are so close.
His team-mate Perez, who entered the weekend in good form, said: “I was stuck in speed and it was a driveability issue. Very disappointing. Very painful for me and the team.
Team boss Christian Horner said the team lost communication contact with Verstappen during the race.
“We could hear him, but he couldn’t hear us,” he said. “But maybe he didn’t need it!”
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