Toro Rosso’s Max Verstappen admits it ‘wasn’t his day’ in Abu Dhabi as he came home a disappointing 16th position.
Verstappen made a strong start from 11th on the grid and kept Valtteri Bottas at bay for the opening stint.
Unfortunately for the Dutchman, his race went downhill from here after he flat-spotted his front tyres and was forced to pit for a new set of tyres.
His race went from bad to worse when he was awarded a 20-second time penalty for gaining an advantage while overtaking McLaren’s Jenson Button.
“It wasn’t my day today. The pace was good, especially at the beginning, but it’s a shame that I locked up my tyres into Turn 8 and, therefore, had to do an extra stop. From there on, my whole race was compromised and I knew it was going to be difficult to end up in the points. At least I enjoyed some last overtakes!
Despite a difficult day at Yas Marina, Verstappen says he really enjoyed his debut season in Formula One and thanked his time back in Faenza and Bicester.
“It’s been a great season overall, I’ve really enjoyed my rookie season and I think we delivered some strong performances. This team has become already like a second family and I’d like to thank everyone here and at the factory in Faenza and Bicester.”
