Relief Max Verstappen: “We didn’t know what was going to happen.”

A victory more complicated than it seemed.

Max Verstappen celebrating the first victory of his career in Monte-Carlo. Despite a race spent leading from the first to the last lap, however, the Red Bull Dutchman explained after the checkered flag that his Monaco Grand Prix was less simple than it sounds.

“The race was quite difficult, also because Alonso had hard tires and we had medium tires. It was not our intention to pit so late,” Verstappen explained at the end of the Grand Prix. “We were forced to behave that way, though, partly because we were afraid that it would start raining and we were not able to predict what would happen.

“Recovering grip on the tires took time. We were then able to regain pace, but driving remained difficult,” Verstappen admitted. On the track you always try to push, but it was slipping. So you had to avoid overdoing it, but you couldn’t lose too much time either. And in fact I also touched the walls a couple of times, but that’s the way it is in Monaco. And to win like today is wonderful. And now I stretch further in the championship.”