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Max Verstappen drove one of his more enjoyable races of the 2026 season in Canada and came away with his first podium of the year. He was also candid about the fact that the result exceeded what the car's actual performance level suggested was possible.
A Race He Actually Enjoyed
Verstappen was refreshingly positive after finishing third at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. The combination of a clean race, competitive battles throughout, and the specific energy management dynamics of the circuit gave him more to work with than any of the first four rounds.
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"I really enjoyed it. Energy management plays a big role on this circuit and when you are right behind someone you can use just a little bit more energy. That earns you speed on the straights and it makes racing here genuinely enjoyable." The sport he has been complaining about for months briefly became the sport he has always loved, and the difference was visible in how he spoke about it afterwards.
He came close to recovering third place in the closing laps but ultimately could not quite bridge the gap. "In the last few laps I tried to fight back but we were genuinely going flat out. For me this just felt like a really good race. Maybe the first of the season where nothing strange happened and everything went reasonably normally."
Honestly Surprised by the Podium
Verstappen did not overclaim about what the result meant in terms of Red Bull's development. "Honestly the car felt better in Miami, so I am fairly surprised to be standing on the podium here." He attributed the result partly to circumstances. "Of course other things played a role too, like George Russell's retirement and the strategic errors at McLaren."
His assessment of the tyre behaviour was equally straightforward. "On the softs we were more competitive, but on the mediums I never really got the tyre into the right working window. I was missing grip and that stint was quite difficult. But in the end we did a good job as a team. Taking our first podium under these circumstances feels very positive."
Azerbaijan Grand Prix
I. Hadjar
A. Antonelli
C. Leclerc
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