Verstappen proud of his team: "Those guys can do that very well"

“This circuit is of course known as a real Mercedes circuit. Here they have always been dominant, except for last year. On the medium tyre I couldn't hook it up and couldn't really attack. Then at the pit stop a bit of wing was removed and then it went better. That pit stop was also very fast, those guys are very good at that, of course they train well for that.

"After that my speed was okay. We do lose a bit on the straight, of course, but just glad to finish in seven or eight seconds on a track that we know is not very competitive. Just a great race," said Verstappen in front of the Ziggo Sport camera.

Just not the fastest race lap

Just before the end of the race, Max Verstappen managed to set the fastest race lap, but Bottas went a little faster in the penultimate lap. “The tyre weren't quite ready. I tried, but in the end I was three tenths short. Of course I am very happy there. Normally we just have to be able to compete [for third]. We will try to do that for the rest of the year," the Dutchman concludes.