"It was a tricky day" - Max Verstappen admits tire struggles after finishing P2 at 2022 F1 Austrian GP

Max Verstappen had to deal with unexpected tire degradation, resulting in a tricky race for the Dutchman at the 2022 F1 Austrian GP, where he finished in second place.

The Red Bull driver took pole in Friday's qualifying before romping to victory in Saturday's Sprint race. However, come Sunday, Ferrari seemed to have the measure of the championship leader.

Charles Leclerc was able to pass Max Verstappen thrice in the race. His Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz also had the upper hand until his car went up in flames due to a mechanical issue.

Speaking to former driver-turned-presenter David Coutlhard in his parc-ferme interview after the race, Max Verstappen said:

“It was a tricky day, it seemed like we were struggling a bit with the tyres and that continued on every single compound. Too much degradation to really attack Charles [Leclerc] especially but nevertheless second place is a good result on a difficult day.”

When asked if the swarm of Dutch fans and the flares they set off were a distraction for him, the defending world champion went on to add:

“No. It was nice. I mean its a great colour anyway so I don't mind to drive through it. It is great to see so many fans coming here to Austria. Unfortunately I couldn't give them a win today but second place is still a good result.”

He was then asked if he was looking forward to more battles with Ferrari as we reach the halfway stage of the 2022 F1 season. Max Verstappen said:

“Of course. Like it has been already the whole year.”

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Red Bull's rivalry with Ferrari has more respect than their 2021 battles with Mercedes, claims Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen believes the level of mutual respect between Red Bull and Ferrari in the ongoing 2022 F1 season is at a higher level than what he experienced last year while taking on Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton.

Things got testy between Verstappen and Hamilton in 2021, especially after the feature race at Silverstone where the Dutchman was involved in a massive 51G crash.

Further incidents followed in Monza, Interlagos, Jeddah, and the Yas Marina Circuit, where the 2021 title was decided under controversial circumstances.

The introduction of the new regulations for 2022 and beyond has made the gap between Red Bull and Mercedes much wider this season. It has also allowed Ferrari to join the world championship conversation after its bout of mediocrity over the last two seasons.

Charles Leclerc has replaced Lewis Hamilton as Max Verstappen's primary on-track foe but the pair still seem to share a relaxed relationship off it.

In an interview with Channel 4 in the build-up to the 2022 F1 Austrian GP, Verstappen said the intensity of the rivalry with Hamilton in 2021 was boosted by the rivalry between Red Bull and Mercedes. The 24-year-old said:

“I don’t think necessarily it was between the drivers, it was mainly because it’s a completely different approach between the teams last year and this year, and probably there was a bit more respect between the two teams as well this year. I think that helps a lot for sure, and I’ve known Charles [Leclerc] for a longer time because we basically grew up together throughout racing and go-karting, and all the way to Formula 1.”

The Dutchman, however, was quick to acknowledge that all the occurrences from 2021 are now in the past for him and Hamilton, adding:

“But I always had [and] still have a lot of respect for Lewis [Hamilton] and we always got on well, and also today, you know, as racing drivers, you know you come together but you also very quickly forget and just move on. The amount of times I’ve crashed with Charles in the past, but now we can laugh about it, so it just, you know racing drivers, they of course, look at themselves.”

The Red Bull driver still leads the World Drivers' Championship standings after 11 races this season with 208 points.