Max Verstappen secured a second-place finish at the Austrian Grand Prix in Spielberg, concluding behind race winner George Russell despite managing a persistent rear-axle issue during the second half of the event.
The performance marked the second podium finish of the season for the four-time world champion, who overtook Lewis Hamilton and Andrea Kimi Antonelli to trail Russell by less than two seconds at the finish line.
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Verstappen Highlights Car Issues
Following the race, Verstappen highlighted lingering concerns regarding the technical reliability and operational consistency of his vehicle, noting that internal struggles continue to hinder the team's ability to mount a sustained championship challenge against Mercedes.
"What was satisfying is that this was the first time I felt like actually I could fight for the win," said Verstappen.
"I do think that the first half of the race we were more competitive because, for whatever reason in the second half, something felt off on the rear of the car."
He added: "Everything was just extremely difficult, from bumps, kerbs, traction, it was just completely gone.
So that's something that we need to understand again, what went wrong there."
Verstappen credited his squad for accelerating a major vehicle upgrade package ahead of the weekend, which significantly enhanced his competitive pace during the initial stages of the race.
"To be that close to a win I think is great effort from the team," said Verstappen.
"They have worked really hard to get these upgrades on the car here and this is the first time in the race where I felt really competitive and I could push a bit more.
