Max Verstappen came back from a difficult start on Friday in Miami, where he outsmarted Charles Leclerc for his first-ever victory at the first race on the track. He explained what led him to his overtaking maneuver at a track where most drivers feared overtaking was impossible.
Verstappen enjoyed the atmosphere of the Miami Grand Prix, but has some criticisms of the circuit itself. Like most other Formula 1 drivers, he complained about the tight chicane at turns fourteen and fifteen and the state of the asphalt, where overtaking proved to be a challenge.
Verstappen on overtaking Leclerc
Yet he managed to surprise Leclerc with a successful overtaking maneuver at the start of the ninth lap, for which he had to deviate from the ideal line - and the corresponding grip. "You make a decision like that in a millisecond," Verstappen said as quoted by The Telegraph.
It is not unusual for Helmut Marko to praise the Dutchman, who according to the Red Bull advisor "drove like a world champion". As always, the driver had a witty response ready: "I am a World Champion, so that works out nicely," Verstappen said.