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Verstappen after emphatic win: The start was key

Verstappen after emphatic win: "The start was key"

28-10-2018 21:15
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Nicolás Quarles van Ufford

After grabbing the win in Mexico for the second year in a row, Red Bull driver Max Verstappen admitted that missing out on his first-ever pole position kept him up all night before the race, motivating him even more to perform well.

The Dutchman lost out to becoming the youngest driver ever to secure pole position by just two-hundredths of a second, with Daniel Ricciardo stealing pole as the checkered flag waved in Q3 on Saturday.

Verstappen made amends on Sunday though, pouncing on a poor start from his teammate and taking first place at the very first turn. He never let go of this, driving to a comfortable win in the end, much like last year, leaving his opposition more than ten seconds behind him.

"The start was the key. To be honest with you I didn't sleep very well last night," Verstappen told David Coulthard at the stadium section of the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez after climbing out of his car.

"The car was working brilliantly. I think we could have had a one-two, and of course after Daniel you want to make sure yours doesn't retire," he said, referencing to Ricciardo's car giving up in the latter stages of the race.

Verstappen's fifth career win was outshadowed by Lewis Hamilton though, as the Brit took his fifth drivers' championship.