Max Verstappen conceded that a tussle with Oscar Piastri at the start of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix “potentially” cost him victory. Despite having good pace, Verstappen was hit with a five-second time penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage after running wheel-to-wheel with Piastri.
Verstappen said his Red Bull car had improved significantly from Friday to Sunday, but the incident at Turn 1 may have hindered his chances of winning. The Dutch driver admitted that while his pace was good, he struggled with understeer on the hard tyre, making it difficult to attack corners.
Although Verstappen finished 2.8 seconds behind Piastri, he expressed confidence in his team’s ability to find a good set-up and work on improving consistency. With only one victory this season so far, Verstappen is looking to build on his performance and make progress at future races.
Source: https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/it-is-what-it-is-verstappen-concedes-tussle-with-piastri-potentially-cost.3QgKAdqkl3QjtpoOyCGVHt