Max Verstappen believed there was no risk in chasing the fastest lap at the end of the Austrian Grand Prix but admitted that his Red Bull team was "a little bit more nervous" about his initiative.
Verstappen enjoyed at the Red Bull Ring another day of clear sailing, the Dutchman conquering his seventh win of the season with a commanding performance that has become the norm this year.
It was also the 25 year old's 42nd career win in F1, an achievement that has allowed him to surpass the tally of the great Ayrton Senna and which slots him fifth in the list all-time F1 winners.
"It’s been a really incredible weekend, something I didn’t expect," Verstappen said after the race.
"With the Sprint format, it’s normally a bit more chaotic to get on top of everything. But I think we did everything well as a team as well, also today with the strategy, the pit stops, everything was smooth.
"Out there on the track, we just had a very quick car, and I felt comfortable in the car. And we could do everything we wanted like we planned it."
Given his massive points lead in the championship over his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez, there appeared to be little incentive for Verstappen to chase the bonus point for fastest lap in the closing stages of the race.
Indeed, his team urged him not to force the issue or take undue risk. Nevertheless, Verstappen opted to swap his mediums for a set of softs with just two laps to go to pocket the fastest lap, which he successfully accomplished.
©RedBull
Asked if there was any risk in his initiative, the two-time world champion said: "To me not, but to the team, I think they were a little bit more nervous."
"I saw the gap, and I was like we have to pit, I want to go for the fastest lap when you have the opportunity, and that’s what we did at the end."
"I mean from the outside, maybe it looks like a big risk. But in the car for me, it didn’t feel like a risk at all."
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