Verstappen: “Victory without spinning? No, I didn’t lose 40 seconds, maybe I could have gotten to the podium”

One man show Max Verstappen was voted driver of the day in the Miami GP in which he gave a great show from the first to the last metre. The Red Bull driver tried to take the lead at the start, but ended up spinning, performing a perfect 360° which still kept him in the middle of the group at the exit of Turn-3 (he apologized to the team via radio). Then the team wall in Milton Keynes decided to take advantage of the Safety Car to immediately switch to hard tires and with those, as a result of the staggered pit stops, Verstappen even took the lead in the race only to then gradually have to give up positions to his rivals who had decidedly fresher tyres. The fifth place finish is still satisfactory for Verstappen who has finally experienced a weekend as a protagonist also in 2026. “If I would have won without the spin? No, I didn’t lose 40 seconds in that mistake – said Verstappen referring to the gap accumulated by the winner Antonelli – perhaps I could have got on the podium, I think third position with a clean race would have been within reach. The contact with Russell? Very normal things that happen in the race”.

Automobile Magazine – F1 English News
2026-05-04 16:45:00