Max Verstappen makes SAVAGE Ferrari dig despite Charles Leclerc podium

Max Verstappen

Verstappen makes SAVAGE Ferrari dig despite Leclerc podium

Max Verstappen has taken brutal aim at Ferrari

Matthew Hobkinson Lead Editor

F1 Editor & Journalist

Tuesday 4 July 2023 07:57

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Max Verstappen has claimed that he would have beaten both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz no matter what strategy Ferrari tried during the race.

Verstappen's dominance in the sport was clear to see yet again on Sunday as he claimed his seventh race win of the season. Only his team-mate, Sergio Perez, has prevented the 25-year-old from winning a grand prix on two occasions this year.

Impressive straight-line speed from Ferrari before the race led some to question whether Leclerc and Sainz could push Verstappen as they lined up behind him in second and third respectively.

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Yet the pair could not get past the two-time world champion before the chequered flag, with Sainz dropping down to fourth behind Perez.

An earlier incident in the race that led to Kevin Magnussen's retirement caused a virtual safety car. Both Leclerc and Sainz opted to pit, while Verstappen decided to hold track position.

Yet the Red Bull driver was adamant that no matter what strategy Ferrari opted for, it wouldn't have made a difference on the outcome of the race.

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"The virtual safety car made it a bit different for strategies for quite a few cars," he said. "But we just stuck to our own one. I think that worked out well to be honest, at the end.

"I think the pace was good. It wouldn’t have mattered what kind of strategy they [Ferrari] did, I think we always had the upper hand in the race."

And the race win itself was not enough for Verstappen, who pleaded with his race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase to let him pit for a fresh set of soft tyres for the final few laps in a bid to claim the extra point for fastest lap.

Despite some initial resistance, the team eventually allowed the Dutchman to box given his 24-second lead over Leclerc at the time. Verstappen claimed the bonus point on the final lap and he could not hide his relief at the team's decision.

He said: "I think they could hear in my voice that I wanted to pit! Luckily they called me in, so I can sleep well tonight."