Verstappen could not attack anymore: "I was just surprised to follow"

After Max Verstappen handed the lead back to Lewis Hamilton at the Bahrain Grand Prix, the Red Bull Racing driver had a handful of laps left to attack his rival. However, he was unable to do so and Verstappen explains why.

Deliberate choice to give back the spot after turn ten

Verstappen waited until after turn ten to give the spot back and deliberately did not do so later. "Well, if I would have let him by later then it’s an unfair way of giving the position back because then you’re so close and it’s an easy DRS pass so I had to do it after Turn 10", he said in the FIA press conference after the race.

Verstappen's tyres were used up

"I was just surprised to follow. I got into Turn 13 and I had a big oversteer and from there onwards I just didn’t have the tyres any more to attack" , continued the Dutchman. Verstappen says that despite having fresher tyres than Hamilton, the advantage quickly disappears when you're within a second and a half of the car in front of you. The wind direction didn't help either.

"With these cars, I think the last three years, it is very important to have track position and we gave that up today", concludes the Dutchman.