Verstappen admits he was lucky to win
Alonso becomes oldest Monaco podium finisher in 50 years
Max Verstappen tip-toed through the rainswept conditions in the latter stages of his victory in yesterday’s Monaco Grand Prix and then declared he had been lucky to survive several brushes with the barriers.
In the aftermath of a challenging race in increasingly difficult conditions, Red Bull’s defending world champion and the current series leader admitted he was fortunate in the way his car smacked the railings.
“I clipped the walls a few times,” he said after his second win in the Mediterranean principality and fourth this season. It was super difficult out there today, but that’s it. That’s Monaco.”
He explained that he was struggling while racing on a set of worn medium tyres, having started the race on them, as the rain began. “I locked up the rears and I couldn’t get out of it as the car slides,” he said. “So it was about trying to control that with a bit of drifting. And, luckily, the wall stopped that in a way from sliding anymore.”
Alonso on podium
Two-time Formula One champion Fernando Alonso became the oldest driver to claim a podium finish in more than 50 years when he came home second. The 41-year-old Spaniard hoped to challenge for a rare victory for Aston Martin, but was thwarted by Verstappen’s pace in his Red Bull and his own tyre-choice error when heavy rain arrived.
He recovered to finish a convincing second — his fifth podium finish in six races — and become the oldest top-three finisher since Australian Jack Brabham, who was 44 when he finished second in 1970.