Verstappen shrugs: 'That's why the gap wasn't that big'

Max Verstappen emerged victorious in the British Grand Prix, although not with the customary dominance. This can be attributed to the late safety car intervention and the tires becoming excessively hot in the early stages of the race. Consequently, the Dutchman did not enjoy the desired level of grip. Nevertheless, the two-time world champion remains unfazed, as he considers the weekend to be a resounding success.

Verstappen asserted his dominance in Mercedes' territory right from the moment he set a wheel on the track. He secured the fastest qualifying time and claimed a maximum of 26 points during the race. Consequently, he further extended his lead in the World Championship, particularly as Sergio Pérez struggled to make significant gains. "Yes, we had a good time," Verstappen shared with a smile during his interview with Sky Sports. "I wouldn't say the race was straightforward," the Dutchman continued. "In the initial laps, my tires overheated, resulting in a decrease in grip. Hence, the gap wasn't as substantial. Nevertheless, overall, it was a positive weekend."

The two-time world champion relinquished his P1 position on the opening lap to Lando Norris, who made a slightly better start as the lights turned green. "I had a poor start. We experienced significant wheelspin, and then I had to overtake Lando. He stayed within my DRS range as my tires were overheating," explained Verstappen. Nonetheless, he managed to create a gap between himself and the McLaren driver. Although Norris kept pace admirably, the margin eventually grew to at least nine seconds. It took Verstappen some time to find his rhythm, but it did not negatively impact his race otherwise.

"He went with the hard compound, while we opted for the soft"

Towards the final stages of the race, the safety car was deployed as Kevin Magnussen's car caught fire. Verstappen took the opportunity to switch to the soft tire, while McLaren opted for the hard compound. "Once we settled into a rhythm, I managed to create a significant gap, reaching a margin of at least nine seconds. However, the safety car bunched us up again. We decided to go with the soft tire, while they chose the hard tire. That decision aided me in the initial laps following the safety car period," explained the two-time world champion. "Achieving perfection is always challenging, and this race posed some difficulties for us. Nevertheless, it turned out to be a satisfactory performance."