Max Verstappen was left frustrated after Red Bull couldn't keep pace with Mercedes at the Italian Grand Prix, with the Dutchman feeling "like a turtle" on the straights at Monza.
Starting fifth, Verstappen impressed by climbing through the field and engaging in a long battle with the Mercedes duo in the first half of the race. After pitting under the Virtual Safety Car (VSC), he surged past Lewis Hamilton and the McLarens on fresher tyres to reclaim third, but ultimately lacked the top speed to challenge the Mercedes cars ahead.
"To be honest, not a lot when people just drive by you like you're a turtle," Verstappen said when asked about his battles. "The car's good on the brakes, so that helps, good confidence to attack the braking zones. And two times at the start, I managed to do that in Turn 4. It is enjoyable, but at the same time frustrating. I just try to maximise everything I can."
Verstappen, already crowned a four-time world champion, highlighted Red Bull's straight-line weakness, particularly in deployment compared to the Mercedes-powered cars. "It was quite clear during the race that we just can't keep up with the deployment of the Mercedes-powered cars," he explained. "On a track like Monza, that is very tough. Even with better tyres, they are too powerful when they use overtake mode. It took me a while even to clear the McLarens."
Despite the frustration, Verstappen viewed his third-place finish as a strong rebound after a difficult weekend at Zandvoort. "To be on the podium after a very difficult weekend in Zandvoort, where the car was not really to my liking, we managed to have a strong turnaround from Friday to Saturday," he said. "The car was definitely in a better window, but we still have areas that need improvement, plus the obvious one: deployment on the straights."
With the championship already secured, Verstappen and Red Bull can use the remaining races to fine-tune their package for next season, addressing the straight-line speed deficit that proved costly at Monza.
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