Max Verstappen scored an authoritative victory in the Sprint race of the São Paulo Formula 1 Grand Prix. The Red Bull driver took the lead right after the start, overtaking Lando Norris (McLaren), and controlled the race from there.
The three-time world champion spoke about two key aspects – the start and careful tire management: ‘The start was crucial for us: it was good to take the lead going into turn one and it was important to keep the first few laps under control. Tire management here is incredibly difficult due to high degradation, and I had to take care of them right from the start of the race. You can’t push too hard since it’s a very long stint for the tires, so you need to choose your moments. I’m happy with how we managed the tires, and we’ve had some successes in the Sprint races this year, which is positive.’
For the main race, Verstappen believes the competition could be even closer: ‘We all learn. Lando was also very close to me throughout the race, so I expect an even tighter result on Sunday.’
