Max Verstappen Calls for Red Bull Investigation After ‘Not Normal’ Brazilian GP Car Problems

Max Verstappen has urged Red Bull to find out why his car behaved so differently during the Brazilian Grand Prix, despite recovering from a lowly starting position to finish second. The Dutch driver said he was pleased with the result, but believed the car’s condition may have cost him an opportunity to challenge race winner Lando Norris more closely. Verstappen began the race from 21st and made rapid progress through the field. He said the first stint went well and that the pace was encouraging as he worked his way into the top 10. The picture changed, however, after he switched to slick tyres: Verstappen described severe oversteer in high-speed corners and said the car became difficult to handle. Speaking after the race, Verstappen said Red Bull needed to establish whether something had broken or whether the car had suffered an aerodynamic problem. He characterised the behaviour as “not normal” and said he had spent much of the race in a car that was not in good shape. He also noted that the handling felt markedly different when he later returned to intermediate tyres, adding to his concern that something had gone wrong. The result was still a notable recovery, with Verstappen finishing less than 15 seconds behind Norris, according to the report. He credited the wet conditions with creating more chances to overtake, as changing lines and grip levels offered opportunities that might not have been available in a dry race. Verstappen has already turned his attention to next year’s race in Sao Paulo. He joked that he would prefer to start further forward rather than from the back or the pit lane, while stressing that Red Bull first needs to understand the car’s problems on slicks. His comments leave the team with a technical question to investigate even as he celebrates a strong result.