Max Verstappen explains why he didn't want to slow down in the treacherous conditions in Monaco. The Red Bull Racing driver occasionally pushed the limits and brushed the walls of the tight street circuit, but he managed to win the Grand Prix without any major incidents. Even Verstappen's engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, wondered why the driver continued to drive at a steady pace in the rain. The reigning world champion believed it was important not to drive too slowly.
Verstappen did not look like he was going to get in trouble in Monaco, but when the rain started, it became more challenging for the Red Bull driver. Alonso was quickly closing the gap on intermediate tires. "I didn't want to risk maintaining the same speed or going faster and end up hitting the wall," Verstappen said at the FIA press conference. "You have to be a bit more cautious. At the same time, you shouldn't drive too slowly either. I think at one point I also had Lando (Norris, ed.) in my rearview mirror, so I thought I needed to pick up the pace."
Why didn't Verstappen let the McLaren driver pass and slow down? After all, his lead over Alonso was significant. "My engineer asked me the same question, but when you're in a rhythm, it's better to stay in it. I think I hit the barrier only once out of sixteen attempts. But I thought I had a bit more margin, and then I hit the barrier, so I actually had no margin. But yeah, it's better to stay in a rhythm and feel good than to slow down and get a bit out of your comfort zone. That also means your tires get colder."
The two-time world champion ultimately braved the rain with skill and managed to extend his lead over Alonso in the final stages. With the victory in Monaco, Verstappen achieved his 39th win in the pinnacle of motorsport, surpassing Sebastian Vettel's record for the highest number of wins with Red Bull. "When you have a good car for a while, you can achieve these kinds of results. But yeah, it's amazing. I never thought I would be at this point in my career. When I was growing up, I wanted to be a Formula 1 driver, and winning these races is incredible. It's better than I could have ever imagined, for sure," said the Dutch driver.