Verstappen: For the first time this season, I was able to fight for the win.

      Max Verstappen is pleased with the results of the race in Spielberg and the team's progress...

      Question: Max, congratulations on your ninth podium at the Red Bull Ring, what makes you happiest right now?

      Max Verstappen: What makes me happiest is the feeling that I can fight for victory again. In the first half of the race, we were more competitive, but in the second half, something happened with the rear of the car – there was no grip at all on the bumps and curbs. We need to figure it out. But everything was really good in the first half of the race.

      I was closing the gap after battling with Lewis. That was cool, of course, but I lost quite a bit of time. So yes, I had to constantly make up for lost time.

      In the middle of the second stint, something happened with the car around the rear axle, which caused me to lose pace – and it continued like that until the finish. It's a bit disappointing. But the fact that we were close to victory shows the great work of the team. They did everything to bring the updates to the car right here, and in this race, I felt competitive for the first time this year. That is definitely a positive aspect of this weekend.

      Question: In what areas has your car improved thanks to these updates?

      Max Verstappen: The grip on the track has increased, and the car allows for faster cornering.

      

      Question: You mentioned the second stint of the race. Do you regret not pitting for a second stop a bit earlier?

      Max Verstappen: It's easy to talk about that after the finish. I believe that my tires were wearing out faster than George's, and I knew that there was a very long stint to the finish. But we will definitely analyze everything.

      Personally, I felt that for the laps I drove on worn tires, I probably lost a bit more than I would have gained from extra laps on new ones. But it's easy to say that now. Honestly, the race was still good. We have come a long way to be here, to be in the top three, and to have a real chance of winning. That's a very positive result.

      Question: Do you think this is related to the specific track, or will you be fast everywhere now? And let's also talk about Silverstone since we're on the subject...

      Max Verstappen: We'll move forward race by race. I like the track at Silverstone, but I drove a few laps on the simulator and laughed. It felt like a different track.

      Compared to what we are used to at Silverstone, the sensations will be quite different this year. In Spielberg, there are long straights and big braking zones where you can recharge the battery. There are also long straights there, but before the fast corners, where it's almost impossible to recharge the batteries, and on the next straight, there is no energy left. It will be challenging.

      Question: Max, you said that the updates prepared by the team were a step in the right direction, but in the race, you still had to chase the Mercedes driver who controlled the gap in the final stint. What exactly is the reason for the remaining deficit?

      Max Verstappen: Well, I started fifth. I was closing the gap on every stint. So I was catching up to George, while Kimi was catching up to me. Yes, the battle was intense. We have some aspects of the car that we need to work on. But as I said, for half the race, I was driving a car that was not in perfect condition. Also, the brakes didn't work as well today as they did on the other days of the weekend. Of course, you can adapt to that, but the situation is not ideal. We will analyze everything and try to figure it out.

      For us, this is already a big step forward compared to previous races. Remember the last race. I was driving alone, hardly battling with anyone. So on a track where the tires wear out quickly, that's a good sign.

      Question: You are currently 98 points behind Kimi, but last year the deficit was even greater. How do you assess your chances in the title fight now?

      Max Verstappen: There are more races left in the season than last year. The deficit is indeed large. In the race, we had a very good pace, but to fight for the title, we need to improve in everything.

      Right now, we have too many issues – from the start to procedural matters behind the scenes that you don't know about. But I know about them. This is not serious criticism or anything like that. We just always want to get better; we strive to be the best.

      We need to focus on all these aspects. And then, if we are a bit more, let's say, reliable, then of course, things will be different. I hope it won't take too long. We just need to work a bit more.