Verstappen believes he could have achieved more in São Paulo

Max Verstappen said he was pleased with second place in the São Paulo Grand Prix, but believed he could have achieved more if his car had worked properly. At the post-race press conference, he said it had not functioned properly for most of the race.

Starting from 21st, Verstappen had climbed to seventh by the start of lap five. A few laps later, he passed Nico Hülkenberg and Liam Lawson and joined the fight for the top five. The wet conditions gave him more overtaking opportunities, he said, because drivers could use different lines.

For a time, he appeared to be closing on Lando Norris and Kimi Antonelli. After his pit stop, Verstappen began complaining of an imbalance in the car. Antonelli made two major errors and dropped out of the fight for victory, while Verstappen could do no more than consolidate second.

Verstappen said he had enjoyed the recovery, especially its opening phase. After three straight comeback drives in Brazil that all ended on the podium, he said he would like to start farther forward at Interlagos next year rather than from the back or the pit lane.