Verstappen: 'I was angry for a moment, of course, but giving everything'

Max Verstappen speaks of a difficult day in the United States, mainly because of the failed pit stop. In the end, the Dutchman did cross the finish line first and dedicated the victory and the constructors' title to the late Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz.

An angry Verstappen at the wheel

"Yes, it wasn't easy in the end at the end. We had a good start. The rest of the race went pretty well too, even though we also lost quite a bit of our lead because of the safety cars. In the end we did have the speed, but because of that pit stop we lost eight to nine seconds more than normal," Verstappen said in a conversation with Viaplay.

"That's quite painful when everyone is pretty close. Then we had to get going. Of course, I was angry for a while, but in the end you do give everything," said Verstappen. Due to the battle with Charles Leclerc, Verstappen used a lot of his tyres, which is why he could not immediately close the gap with Lewis Hamilton either. "I needed a few laps to get those tyres up to temperature again. Then we got to Lewis and were able to pass him."

Victory for Mateschitz

Before the race, Verstappen already knew for sure. This race had to become for Mateschitz. The Dutchman already said this in a conversation with advisor Helmut Marko. "Yes, I said before the race to Helmut we are going to win it for Dietrich. I'm sure he would have found this a very nice race."

Jos Verstappen hopes this is just the beginning of what son Max can show. Verstappen says he is eager for more wins and championships, but he knows it will require hard work. " We hope for more championships, but we have to keep working hard," he concludes.