Verstappen: "I think I'm two tenths faster than him in his car"

Max Verstappen controlled the Azerbaijan Grand Prix until the dramatic moment with five laps to go: a blowout forced an early end to his race. Despite the fact that the damage was limited by Lewis Hamilton's mistake at the restart, the Dutchman regrets the missed opportunity to increase his lead in the championship.

Verstappen on missed opportunity to extend lead in World Championship

Street circuits seem to suit the Red Bull Racing cars, which is precisely why Verstappen feels the pain of a missed opportunity. "On street circuits we seem to have the upper hand over Mercedes, which is precisely why I would have liked to score more points today," he said in a conversation with Motorsport.com.

The costly mistake Hamilton made on the restart, which also meant he went home with a zero score, eases the pain somewhat. "Of course it makes a difference, but I would have preferred to run further out of course," continued the Limburger, who thinks Red Bull are going to have a much harder time on normal circuits. "I feel bad about the missed opportunity, because over the whole season we need those points."

Verstappen reacts razor-sharp to Hamilton's words

Hamilton claimed after the race that Verstappen owes his lead in World Championship to Red Bull's 'better car'. To this the Dutchman has a sharp response: "I would say that too if I were him. I think if I'm in his car I'm still two tenths faster than him. I don't care what he says," said Verstappen.