Verstappen Details RB22 Issues Despite Strong Rally at Brazilian GP

Max Verstappen secured second place at the Brazilian Grand Prix following an impressive comeback drive. Still, he expressed some dissatisfaction with his car's performance during the race.

Problems with the RB22 Surface During the Race

Speaking to Viaplay after the race at Interlagos, Verstappen reflected on his struggles: "After my stint on intermediates, the car felt really bad. I don’t know what went wrong or if something broke, but it was basically undriveable. There was extreme oversteer in the fast corners. For example, in that last kink, you should normally take it flat out, but I could barely keep it at full throttle. That was a shame."

Despite a strong start and moving quickly into podium contention, Verstappen noticed something was off. "I couldn’t turn the steering wheel properly in the fast corners; it felt really strange. We need to check the car because they found something unusual, but during the race you don’t have many sensors, so it will have to be taken apart. It was clear something wasn’t right."

Strong Comeback Amid Rainy Conditions

The Dutch driver made a remarkable recovery early on. Even though the track was wet, Verstappen admitted he started in first gear. "On the laps to the grid, the car still felt pretty good. Then I went out and thought I had very little grip, but looking around, I realized I actually had quite a bit of grip," he said with a smile.

His start wasn’t flawless: "I had some bad luck in the first few corners, getting boxed in with too many cars ahead. But after that, I passed them quickly by taking different lines and searching for grip. While many drivers follow the car in front, you have to find your own grip."

Skills Passed Down from Jos Verstappen

Verstappen credits his ability to find grip and make smart moves to training with his father. "I used to practise that with Jos. It makes a big difference for the rest of the race. If you get stuck behind someone too long, you lose time to the leaders, and it becomes tough when switching to slicks. We were already in a good position when we changed to slick tires."

One highlight came on lap five when Verstappen overtook both Oscar Piastri and Alex Albon in one maneuver. "I went around the outside at Turn 3 and didn’t lift. I saw him push me wide, but I kept my foot down. I rarely lift," he noted.

Realistic About Performance and Expectations

Despite moving up from 21st to second, Verstappen remains grounded. "It’s obviously great, but I’m always focused on what could be better. There was clearly something wrong with the car. It didn’t feel like it did in the early laps during the final rainy stint. Something was definitely off."

He is confident in his wet-weather skills but warns others not to expect miracles every time: "I’m not surprised by my performance in the rain because I expect that from myself. The problem is people think things will always go well because I’ve started at the back before. But it can’t always be like that. You try your best, but sometimes you also need luck because this isn’t normal."