P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Max Verstappen believes the time he lost behind Charles Leclerc cost him a chance to challenge the McLarens in the Sprint race at F1’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
“Verstappen fell two points behind championship rival Lando Norris, who took advantage of team orders to lead a McLaren 1-2, with the Red Bull driver finishing third. Despite late efforts to catch up, Verstappen was unable to close the gap due to tracking Leclerc for too long. He eventually overtook Leclerc on Lap 18 to secure third place after an error by the Ferrari driver. Verstappen expressed disappointment at being unable to stop McLaren’s strong performance but found encouragement in Red Bull’s race pace. He acknowledged that being stuck in a DRS train limited his ability to overtake earlier. Verstappen’s third-place finish is currently under investigation following a close encounter with Oscar Piastri during the final lap of the race.”
