The carefree Max Verstappen continues his ascent to the top!
Just behind the battle for victory, Max Verstappen finished his United States Grand Prix in fourth position! The young Toro Rosso driver reflected on his impressive race: he clearly enjoyed himself yesterday in Austin.
The Dutchman (once again!) treated us to a breathtaking race. Starting 8th on a track he was not very familiar with and with little running since the start of the weekend, he simply led a race that was both smart and daring.
“I really enjoyed it!” he told reporters. “That race was crazy: this 4th place is a fantastic result: I’m really delighted!”
He skillfully avoided the pitfalls of a chaotic start and the collision between Massa and Alonso. The rest was exhilarating: such audacity indeed, especially when he was matched against Kimi Räikkönen. / « I was really in a good rhythm, battling with both Ferraris, and was even slowed down by one of them! I really enjoyed all these on-track battles, especially with Räikkönen! »
He even instilled a lesson in mastery to Daniil Kyvat on the big sister Red Bull, who, for his part, finished his race in the wall / « I didn’t make any significant mistakes, especially when it came to fitting the slick tires. I think the team executed a good strategy today given the difficulty of this race. »
Indeed, bold strategy and unwavering talent carried Verstappen onto the provisional podium for a few laps during the last Safety Car intervention. But he ultimately conceded in the very last laps to Sebastian Vettel, who was equipped with fresh tires.
It must be said that the Dutchman mainly had to manage his final stint on soft tires, which lasted 28 laps: «I didn’t really fight with Sebastian, I mainly focused on managing my tires well because the track conditions were really very tricky! »
This very convincing fourth place thus equals his best result of his young career in Formula 1. At the age of 18, he was not far from breaking the record for the youngest driver on a podium. (Editor’s note: Sebastian Vettel at 21 years, 2 months, and 11 days at the 2008 Italian Grand Prix)
But he does not intend to stop there: « I am delighted with this great position tonight! However, I hope to score as many points in the remaining races! »
Pushed the bull to the max! Very happy with today’s race! #4th #USGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/pMqB6TgSwe
— Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen) October 25, 2015
Furthermore, a few words about the performance of his teammate who also did not disappoint, far from it. Starting 20th after his crash in Qualifying, Carlos Sainz Junior had already gained nine positions by the end of the first lap! His comeback brought him to 6th position at the checkered flag.
In the end, he still loses a place to finish 7th due to a 5-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane: « We were fast throughout the race. It’s just incredible to start 20th and finish 7th! »
The Spaniard also has a fiery temperament on track! He also battled with Räikkönen’s Ferrari and got rid of the two drivers in front of him at the last Safety Car restart: Pastor Maldonado and Jenson Button. « My race engineer told me during the race that I was literally on fire, which made me smile! »
Best radio moment? @carlosainz has no doubt! When @RaceMatas said “You’re on fire!”He was indeed, we really enjoyed all those overtakes! 👍🏼
— Toro Rosso (@ToroRossoSpy) October 25, 2015
«I would especially like to thank the team for getting the car back in shape and on time, I am happy to reward them with a good result after the tough morning we experienced. » As a reminder, the Iberian had indeed hit the wall that very morning during the Qualifying session.
These two results, the best in the careers of Verstappen and Sainz, will certainly leave a great memory in the 2015 season of the Toro Rosso team!
A very big thank you to our guys! Un enorme grazie ai nostri ragazzi! #USGP #GOTOROROSSO 💪🏼👍🏼😁👊🏼🙌🏼🎉🇮🇹🇺🇸🏁 pic.twitter.com/vJ0u8SnZKG
— Toro Rosso (@ToroRossoSpy) October 25, 2015
