Max Verstappen expressed pride in returning to the podium at Monza, despite having to fight hard against the fast cars ahead. In a historic Italian GP, the Red Bull driver finished third, behind the two Mercedes and ahead of the McLaren duo who put him under significant pressure.
“Being back on the podium here is always special,” said Verstappen, who now has five podiums this season. “We had to fight for it, and it wasn't easy. But overall, I think we did a really good job.”
Verstappen admitted that the main difficulty came on the straights. “We struggled with power delivery on the straights compared to the Mercedes-engined cars. There were still some issues,” he explained. “I ran wide at Turn 2 because of the dirty track, which allowed the McLarens to pass. It took a while to get the position back.”
Despite briefly leading the race, Verstappen knew Mercedes was too strong that day. “I tried everything I could, even led the race, which was exciting. Unfortunately, we couldn't match the Mercedes, but the podium is a fantastic end to the weekend.”
Meanwhile, his teammate Liam Lawson, who replaced the injured Isaac Hadjar, finished 14th after an early incident. “I lost part of the front wing after contact with Nico, and had to pit early, losing more than 30 seconds,” Lawson said. “Without that issue, we had a good chance to move up.”
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