Max Verstappen finished the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix in third place, but left Monza once again frustrated by the lack of speed from the Red Bull Racing car on the straightaways. After the race, the Dutchman ironed out the situation by commenting on the performance of the power unit.
In an interview with Viaplay, Verstappen acknowledged that the podium was a solid result for the team, although he highlighted the difficulty on the straights: “Happy with the result, it’s all good for us. But, of course, it’s a pity that we’re losing so much in the straights. That’s not new; we’ve known this for some time,” he said.
In sequence, the Dutch driver adopted a sarcastic tone when mentioning the alleged advantage of the Red Bull engine: “Apparently, we have the fastest engine,” Verstappen said, in a pointed nod to the difficulties he faced keeping pace with cars equipped with more efficient power units on the straights.
The Dutchman also explained that the car’s rear-end behavior remained an issue throughout the weekend: “The car didn’t look very good, but we maximized what we had,” he added, underscoring particularly the struggles in low-speed corners.
Verstappen further lost time during the race after veering off the line in Turn 2 when the asphalt peeled away, triggering an unexpected reaction from the car. He said the incident also affected Kimi Antonelli, and McLaren seized the opportunity to attack, complicating the Red Bull driver’s recovery: “After that, McLaren was in overtaking mode and we were simply slow on the straight,” concluded Verstappen.
