Max Verstappen has praised his Canadian Grand Prix podium as an “extremely positive” result, with it marking Red Bull’s first podium since becoming an F1 manufacturer.
Verstappen’s excellent drive from sixth on the grid to third at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve represents a significant milestone for the Milton Keynes-based outfit, which had rarely looked capable of challenging for a podium so far this season.
The Dutchman capitalised on both McLaren drivers starting on intermediate tyres despite the circuit being dry, forcing Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri to pit within the opening two laps.
He also benefited from George Russell retiring following a shock Mercedes power unit failure, making a podium finish a genuine possibility.
That opportunity increased further after Verstappen overtook Lewis Hamilton in the opening stages, although he later fell back behind the Briton in the closing laps and had to settle for third.
Asked if he was satisfied with the result, Verstappen replied: “Yeah, I think so. I mean, I had some cool battles out there. Racing back up front, that is always better, right?
“And for us to have our first podium, of course, is really positive. Very happy with that, and with the cool battle with Lewis Hamilton as well at the end.
“So, we just kept pushing to the line, and yeah, in a weekend where it’s not that easy to get things right, for us to be on the podium here is extremely positive, so naturally I’m very happy with that.”
It has been a brutal start to life as its own power unit supplier for Red Bull, which has often found itself well adrift of Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren.
A podium finish represents a genuine opportunity for the Austrian outfit to kick on.
Discussing what is needed to catch Red Bull Racing’s rivals, Verstappen said: “Keep working and improving better than our competition — that’s the target. But we’ll see over the coming races what we can do.”
