Verstappen: 'We are leading the championship, but are too slow now'

Max Verstappen crossed the finish line in second place in Turkey and has retaken the lead of the world championship from Lewis Hamilton. Despite being back in the lead, the Dutchman thinks Red Bull Racing are too slow at the moment.

"It was just really tricky today. You just had to watch the tyres. You couldn't do one lap at full throttle. It was all about managing. And then sometimes it can fall your way and also someone else's way. In general I also think Mercedes had the better pace, but I think they were also a bit better with the tyres," Verstappen opens on Ziggo Sport.

"It's a bit of a nasty race with the wear and tear. You drive all over the canvas of that tyre. But in the end I am happy with that second place," continued the 24-year-old driver. In addition to the wear and tear, he also had a problem with his steering wheel, although Verstappen believes this could also be related to the wear and tear. "It was crooked on the left, downwards. But that could be related to the wear of that tyre."

All in all, Verstappen is satisfied after the Turkish Grand Prix. "I could have had a harder time if it had been dry. And we're doing a good job of that. Of course we are first in the championship, but I do think we are a bit too slow. So we do need to work on understanding what we can do even better," he said.

The white Red Bull the team drove to thank Honda will not return next race, but that is not a problem for Verstappen. "Colour doesn't matter, even if it's pink. The speed is the same," Verstappen concludes.