Fans were transported back briefly to the 2021 season as Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen intensely fought on track, not for podiums this time, but for securing points.
While fans enjoyed the wheel-to-wheel, Verstappen didn’t seem to be happy about the entire moment. This is because, though he gave the position back after being instructed, Hamilton didn’t take it immediately, and it wasted his seconds, which left Verstappen frustrated.
The Sprint race was won by Lando Norris from pole position, followed by Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc. Verstappen completed the race in 5th place, below George Russell. On the other hand, Hamilton held on to the position (7th), where he qualified originally.
Verstappen criticised Hamilton for not taking the place immediately
During the 8th lap, the Dutchman overtook Hamilton for sixth place by running off the track. However, he was not allowed to keep the position and hand it back to Hamilton as per the team’s instruction. Showcasing no disapproval, he let Hamilton pass at the final corner, but the Ferrari driver didn’t do it quickly. Therefore, Verstappen believed that the Ferrari driver wasted his time, and it cost him seconds.
In a recent conversation, Verstappen revealed his thoughts on the whole scenario. He said, “I had to let him by, but he doesn’t come by, so we lose four seconds because he just stays behind me. That’s where we wasted our time. I don’t know what else I could have done there.” He believed that was a “shame”, but he did have a decent pace once he got clear air. He also acknowledged that there are a lot of areas they need to improve on the car, as he faced issues in low-speed corners. Moreover, his car also gets bumpy and impacts the grip ultimately.
A good Miami GP qualifying for Verstappen
Since the start of the season, Verstappen had struggled immensely to extract great performance out of the Red Bull car as it faced multiple issues. However, over the break, the team appeared to have worked devotedly in delivering the car that’s slightly competitive. This weekend had been good for the Dutchman, as he secured points in the Sprint as well as managed to put the car in the front row for the final race.
In a recent conversation with F1, Verstappen reflected on past races this season and spoke about the upgrades Red Bull brought to Miami, which appear effective. He said, “For me it’s been two things. For sure, the car has not been great in the previous races, but also from my side I’ve never felt comfortable with the layout of the car. I think over those last few weeks the team has been pushing flat-out to try and bring upgrades to the car, and making me feel more comfortable with a lot of things in the car.”
He revealed that if he feels more control in the car, then of course he can push and deliver, which also indicates that the upgrades are working. However, overall, he is satisfied with a front-row start, as the result was much better than he expected.
