Max Verstappen makes 'crazy' point after messy start to F1 season

Max Verstappen has highlighted how the Canadian Grand Prix was the first round of the campaign where "nothing crazy happened" to him.

The Red Bull driver has endured a tough start to the F1 season, and his third-place finish in Montreal was his first podium of the year.

The RB22 has proven difficult so far, and the Dutchman has rarely felt comfortable inside the cockpit, something that has prevented him from getting the most out of the package.

Even after steps forward were taken at the previous round, in Miami, following updates to the car, that appeared to have regressed in Canada.

However, McLaren's disastrous decision to start Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri on intermediate tyres and George Russell's power unit failure left Verstappen and old adversary Lewis Hamilton in the hunt for second place, behind eventual race winner Kimi Antonelli.

Both drivers thoroughly enjoyed the battle, with the four-time F1 champion telling media, including RacingNews365: "Yeah, it was very good. I enjoyed it a lot."

"I think also when you are within a second at [the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve], we are very energy poor around here, and when you are within a second, you’re allowed to spend a bit more energy, so then on the straights, of course, you gain a bit of speed, and around here that is very efficient actually."

Verstappen eventually succumbed to Hamilton's pressure, with the Ferrari driver taking his best result since joining the Scuderia, but it was nonetheless his best — and cleanest — weekend of the season thus far.

A crash in qualifying at the curtain raiser in Australia left the 71-time grand prix winner to charge back through the field, before retiring from the subsequent round in China.

The Japanese Grand Prix was a torrid endeavour all round for the 28-year-old, who only finished eighth at Suzuka, whilst the trip to Florida showed promise before a first-lap spin left Verstappen fighting in the midfield on his way back to fifth.

"The last few laps, I tried to get back, but it was good. We’re pushing flat out, and [it] was just very nice for me," he added.

"Also, I think it’s my first race where I basically had a normal race, nothing crazy happened, so that’s also nice."