Verstappen: The difference in speed is too great

      Max Verstappen was pleased with second place at his home circuit in Zandvoort...

      Question: Max, another podium at your home circuit. Considering how things looked on Friday, are you satisfied with second place?

      Max Verstappen: Yes, we can be satisfied with that result. Qualifying went well. I had hoped for more in the race, but I quickly realized we lacked pace.

      It seems that over a race distance we always have more problems with tyre and car behaviour than on a single lap, and today that was obvious again. In the end I was fighting more with the cars behind me than with those ahead.

      Question: Tell us about the strategy. You chose Soft tyres twice…

      Max Verstappen: Yes, after Friday they seemed like the best option to me. That was our plan. And, of course, because of the safety car everyone had to pit again to put on new tyres.

      Question: You made a brilliant start but almost lost control of the car in turn three. Tell us about the first lap…

      Max Verstappen: I had a decent start. I tried to attack around the outside at turn one, then at turn two, but there's always a lot of sand from the middle to the edge of the track there. I was on the Softs, they give an advantage, so I just kept pushing on the entry. In turn three the car snapped a little, but it was all under control.

      Question: After passing Lando, were you confident you could stay ahead?

      Max Verstappen: Not at all. I just wanted to have a bit of fun. When I got ahead I was driving at my own pace and I understood that at some point Lando would get ahead again. As you saw, the pace difference is too big. There's no point ruining your race by defending too hard, or losing two or three laps by defending with all you have. Unfortunately, that wouldn't achieve anything.

      Question: What do you think about Isack Hadjar's first podium, about how he's performed this year?

      Max Verstappen: That's great! To be honest, rookies have a hard time with these cars. It's a fully deserved podium. Hadjar had a strong weekend, performing well in qualifying and the race. And his team has been doing a great job all season.

      Question: Max, in 2021 you had a tough fight with Lewis. When setbacks happened, like that year in Silverstone, Baku, Monza, how quickly did you manage to forget them and put them out of your head?

      Max Verstappen: In that situation you understand that what happened is out of your control. After a setback you just have to keep working hard, try to win. It's simple. Especially when you're teammates, you have the same cars, the same opportunities.

      There are many races ahead, and you can see how the situation can change. As Oscar said, you don't know whether a mechanical failure will occur or not, it's out of your control. So yes, it's not ideal, but there are still enough races ahead to either change the situation or not. Time will tell.