The key to Max Verstappen's remarkable Sao Paulo Grand Prix recovery was not simply his blistering launch off the gird and opening lap, but a robust first stint that put him in contention for a podium long before the race reached its decisive stages.
The four-time world champion eventually finished second at Interlagos on Sunday, 14 seconds behind Lando Norris, completing another spectacular comeback at a circuit that has become something of a happy hunting ground for the Dutchman.
Yet Verstappen was far from entirely satisfied. Despite the impressive result, he admitted that an unexpected change in his Red Bull's behaviour left him struggling for pace during the second half of the race, preventing him from mounting a serious challenge for victory.
"It was a challenging race," he acknowledged. "I think the first few laps, of course, were very important.
"I overtook a lot of cars, and actually, that first stint, I think on the intermediates, was really, really strong.
"Unfortunately, after that, I don't know if we picked up some kind of damage because the car felt like the complete opposite to anything that I've felt the whole weekend, with some really weird balance.
©Red Bull
"Unfortunately, once I got into P2, I couldn't really make any inroads. So we have to understand what went wrong there.
"But, I mean, starting P21 and being on the podium in second, I think, is a very good result."
Hadjar celebrates podium despite awkward moment
Verstappen's recovery also helped deliver a second double podium of the season for Red Bull, with Isack Hadjar taking an impressive third place after briefly running second.
The Frenchman was instructed to surrender his position to his more experienced team-mate after losing time running wide at Turn 1, an incident he readily acknowledged could have been avoided.
"It was so, so difficult, so challenging, especially switching from the intermediate to the soft tyre, avoiding the traps," Hadjar explained.
"It was extremely difficult, especially in the pit lane. You saw how tricky it was to drive, and then more rain at the end.
©Red Bull
"So happy to be standing third today. But I need to keep making a bit less mistakes because I could have avoided a little awkward situation with Max.
"So yeah, just want to apologise because I think on that stint I could have kept it a bit more on the track."
Hadjar also had to contend with Kimi Antonelli's challenge as the rain intensified towards the finish, admitting that conditions were becoming particularly treacherous.
São Paulo Grand Prix - Race results"I was testing the grip for him [Antonelli], basically," he said. "I could see he was challenging me a lot, and I was on ice, and he was on ice as well, but it was well managed.
"I nearly shunted into my pit crew when boxing, but they did a fantastic job. They kept their calm, and the pit stop was fast. So big thanks to the boys."
For Red Bull, the afternoon brought a welcome double podium. For Verstappen, however, the result also left an intriguing question: just what happened to the car after that formidable opening stint?
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