Verstappen: "Valtteri shouldn’t have been in my way in qualifying!"

Max Verstappen finally managed to finish on the podium after two DNFs. The Dutchman finished second in the Russian Grand Prix and says that was the best he could do. After his first pit stop Valtteri Bottas was unable to catch up according to Verstappen.

The start of Verstappen was not very strong, the Red Bull Racing driver immediately lost a position to Bottas and Daniel Ricciardo also went for an overtaking on his former team mate. "I was just hoping that it was going to be a bit grippy but actually on my formation lap I had an anti-stall so that was not nice," says Verstappen at the FIA press conference after the race.

"As soon as I dropped the clutch you could just feel there was no grip," the Dutchman continues. "And then I thought initially I just had a bad start but then I looked in the mirror and I could see the whole line behind me as well had a poor start so yeah, I don’t know, if we could do something different. Well, Valtteri shouldn’t have been in my way in qualifying, then, with the tow. Then I would have been third!"

Verstappen drove a strong second stint after his pit stop, but a chance to overtake Bottas was not in it for the Red Bull driver. "No, because he was already too far ahead anyway. I think. Once we pitted it was 12 seconds or something. That’s very hard to close – and anyway, following around here on the same tyre, more or less the same pace, I think it’s very difficult," concludes Verstappen.