Verstappen Admits Struggles Against Mercedes Surprise in Montreal

According to Motorsport.com, Max Verstappen experienced an unpredictable race at the Montreal circuit. The Red Bull driver — who initially worried about McLaren’s threat — had to fight hard against Mercedes instead.

Red Bull’s tire degradation turned out higher than expected. “Our tire wear was surprisingly high,” revealed Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko. “I think Max pushed too hard in the early stints to keep up with Russell.”

“I couldn’t attack at all, not a chance. It was more about damage limitation and trying not to overdo things. We’re still lacking,” explained Verstappen.

The team had to implement defensive strategy through two undercuts to hold off Andrea Kimi Antonelli from Mercedes. The 18-year-old driver managed to apply significant pressure — especially at the end of first and second stints.

Despite finishing second, Verstappen remains unconvinced about title fight prospects. “We still need more pace. Today we only finished ahead because of our qualifying and because the team made the right strategic calls,” he concluded.