Triple World Champion Max Verstappen discussed his performance during the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at Jeddah Corniche Circuit.
Red Bull Racing F1 driver Max Verstappen recorded the 100th podium of his career with a win during the second race of the season in Jeddah after starting from P1.
Verstappen seemed to have the race under control all throughout. He crossed the finish line 8.643 seconds ahead of Sergio Perez in second place and 18.639 ahead of Charles Leclerc in third. He told the media after the race:
"I think overall, a fantastic weekend for the whole team. But also for myself, I felt really good with the car and also basically was the same in the race."
Lance Stroll crashed his Aston Martin during the seventh lap of the race and triggered the safety car. Almost all drivers (despite those who gambled on another safety car) went to change their tires at that moment.
The race was projected to be a one-stop race, which meant the F1 drivers then had to complete more than 40 laps on the same tire compound. The 26-year-old suggested his second stint was longer than he would have liked.
"Of course, the last stint was a bit longer than we would have liked, but with the safety car, you have to go for it. So the last few laps also with those backmarkers with the cold tires were a little bit slippery."
In the end, Verstappen tried to go for the fastest lap of the race, but Leclerc snatched it from him. Nevertheless, the triple World Champion asserted he has been "very, very satisfied" with how everything turned out for him. He added:
"But we had good base all around. We could manage it quite well, but the gap also, overall, very, very pleased."