Verstappen: "I'd rather finish first with a penalty than second like this"

Max Verstappen hoped to start his season with a win in Bahrain, but he had to let Lewis Hamilton go ahead of him. The Red Bull Racing driver had to give the lead back to Hamilton after an off-track overtaking move.

Verstappen preferred a time penalty

Giving back the position was something Verstappen preferred not to do, but he listened to his team anyway. "This is just how I am. I'd rather finish first with a penalty, second like this. Look that's how I think, not everyone has to agree with that. It's only the first race of the season. That we are so disappointed now is also a good sign, because last year we would have been very happy with this," said Verstappen at Ziggo Sport.

"There was something very strange going on. Every time I went on the gas there was always one wheel that slipped. It was a bit better after I adjusted it a bit," says the Dutchman about the problems he experienced with the differential of the RB16B.

Overtaking not easy in Bahrain

"It's always difficult to overtake here. It showed. They also had more choices of tyres, we could only do this strategy and they could do another three-stop. So we have to see how to arrange it better with the tyres."

The Dutchman would clearly have preferred to stand on the top step of the podium is to hear his reaction: "Fine, but you don't get anything for that, " he concludes.