Max finishes in points again with hard fought P8

Published on 21 June 2015 by Mike Motilall

With a hard fought eighth place, Max Verstappen was able to finish in points for the second time in his debut season in the Formula 1 during the Austrian Grand Prix. The Scuderia Toro Rosso-driver, starting from P7, drove an immaculate race but was unable to fend off the faster Pastor Maldonado in the closing of the race.

“The car was great, finally in the points again!”, is what Max had to say when the checkered flag dropped. “I tried to hold on to P7, but you could clearly see the speed deficit with Maldonado on the straight, so I am very happy with my eighth place. I have done everything I could, it was a good race. I had some nice fights and enjoyed every lap. Especially the last ones were exciting.”

About the fight with Maldonado, Max had this to say: “I was on the soft tyre and he was catching up on me on the super softs. I positioned myself when exiting the corners and braked as late as possible. Also, the traction of the car is really good, here it worked perfectly. The only thing is, we came short on the straights. I used everything I could to defend myself, but my battery was just empty at a certain moment. At the end of the race, I was pushing like crazy to keep Maldonado behind of me, that I totally used everything the tyres had to give to me. I even had wheel spin in the fifth gear.”

Looking ahead to the next race, in Great-Britain, Max says: “I know Silverstone from Formula 3 last year. I think that it could even go better there than it was here in Austria, as that track has a little less longer straights and more fast corners. I’m looking forward to that. But first I’m doing some demo’s on Sunday June 28th during Italia a Zandvoort.”

As Nico Rosberg outpaced his team mate and pole sitter Lewis Hamilton when entering the first corner and thus snatching the lead away from him, Max also experienced a good get away. He is able to get next to Valtteri Bottas and after both exit the corner, Max leaves the Williams behind him. This sees him take P6, having started from the seventh position.

Moments later Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso crash very spectacularly. The Ferrari loses control and weaves itself into the McLaren, ending up on the front of the Scarlet red automobile. The entangled duo slides along the guard rails – one still on top of the other – before coming to a stop. Luckily both World Champions disembark unscathed. To recover the two cars safely, the safety car emerges on track only to disappear six laps later.

When Max is told by his race engineer that his brakes are too hot and that he needs to cool them by driving in ‘clean air’, he starts losing time on Nico Hulkenberg who is ahead of him. This enables Bottas to get close to his rear. A few laps later, Max has no answer to the Williams, who outbrakes him in turn two, dropping him back to P7.

In lap 27, Max does his only pit stop and switches from the super softs to the soft compound tyre. He re-emerges on track as eleventh. Three laps later, the Toro Rosso passes the Red Bull Racing-car of Daniil Kvyat and Max is tenth.

At the front, there isn’t much happening as Rosberg is able to stay in front of his Mercedes-team mate. Sebastian Vettel, having started third, is kept waiting during his pit stop due to a stuck wheel gun. This eventually costs him the podium, benefitting Felipe Massa who finishes third.

Carlos Sainz, who was ninth during the opening stage of the race, was less fortunate this round. During his pit stop, he loses some valuable seconds and to make matters worse, is dealt a five seconds time penalty for exceeding the speed limit in the pit lane. In lap 32 the Spaniard reports loss of power and his forced to park his STR10 in the pit box.

Max is making some good tracks half way during the race and has his eyes set on the second Red Bull, Daniel Ricciardo’s. In lap 40, the young Dutchman makes little work of the Ozzie and is seventh again. Hulkenberg, ahead of him in his Force India, is way too fast for him to get close, but danger is sneaking up from behind in the form of Maldonado.

In lap 60, the Lotus has crept up to Max’ tail and for laps we bear witness to an intense fight. Max exits the corners perfectly and Maldonado is doing everything he can to get pass the Toro Rosso. The Venezuelan slides over the kerbs and barely manages to keep his car in control. One lap later, both fighters are side by side, but still Maldonado is unable pass the flying Dutchman.

The overtake finally happens when the Lotus eventually breaks free from the slipstream of the STR10 on the straight in lap 70. Causing Maldonado to almost lose control of his car for a second time. Max has by then punished his tyres severly and falters during braking at the end of the straight, having been able to delay the inevitable for as long as possible. Having fought like a lion, Max surrenders P7 to Maldonado.

Red Bull Ring – Austrian Grand Prix – Sunday 21 June

 P Driver                 Team          Time 
 1 Nico Rosberg       GER Mercedes      1:30:16.930 
 2 Lewis Hamilton     GBR Mercedes      +8.800s 
 3 Felipe Massa       BRA Williams      +17.573s 
 4 Sebastian Vettel   GER Ferrari       +18.181s 
 5 Valtteri Bottas    FIN Williams      +53.604s 
 6 Nico Hulkenberg    GER Force India   +64.075s 
 7 Pastor Maldonado   VEN Lotus         +1 lap 
 8 Max Verstappen     NED Toro Rosso    +1 lap 
 9 Sergio Perez       MEX Force India   +1 lap 
10 Daniel Ricciardo   AUS Red Bull      +1 lap 
11 Felipe Nasr        BRA Sauber        +1 lap 
12 Daniil Kvyat       RUS Red Bull      +1 lap 
13 Marcus Ericsson    SWE Sauber        +2 laps 
14 Roberto Merhi      ESP Marussia      +3 laps 
RT Romain Grosjean    FRA Lotus         DNF 
RT Carlos Sainz       ESP Toro Rosso    DNF 
RT Jenson Button      GBR McLaren       DNF 
RT Will Stevens       GBR Marussia      DNF 
RT Kimi Raikkonen     FIN Ferrari       DNF 
RT Fernando Alonso    ESP McLaren       DNF