It was a bitter-sweet end to the weekend for Max Verstappen at Baku after failing to see the checkered flag despite leading for over 75% of the race. The Dutchman was evidently distraught following the crash, as he kicked the stranded Red Bull before escorting himself off the track.

But, then arrived another massive turnaround over the already eventful race. Who would have thought that Lewis Hamilton, of all, would end up making a mistake that ultimately cost him not just a podium but also a race finish?

One might assume that the Hamilton incident might have given Verstappen something to cherish as he gets to keep the lead at the driver’s standings despite suffering his first DNF of the season.

However, the Dutchman is still frantic with the fact that he just lost a golden opportunity to extend the championship lead against his rival.

What did Max Verstappen say?

Following the dramatic race at Baku, Verstappen expressed his frustration by opining that he can hate the sport after what it had to offer in the race.

“Of course, it’s frustrating and very disappointing. So close to the finish to retire with a tire blow-out. So, yeah it’s a big shame. Sometimes, you can hate the sport for a few hours and I’ll be fine again,” he said during the post-race interview.

A Verstappen race win was written all over the streets of Baku, considering that his title rival was pretty much stuck behind the eventual race winner, Sergio Perez.

But then occurred the unexpected tire failure for the Dutchman while racing at over 270km/hr. Verstappen had no chance of bringing the car back in his control, as it spun into the barriers, spilling a massive amount of debris over the track.

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No guarantees in the sport: Verstappen

Verstappen managed to embrace the painful side of F1 at Baku earlier on Sunday. But, despite missing out on a race win, Verstappen felt that there are no guarantees in a race until one sees the checkered flag.

“Honestly, up until that point, it was a great day; the car was on fire,” he said. I was just matching whatever I needed to do behind me.

“I was quite comfortably in the lead. And, yeah, it would have been an easy win, but there are no guarantees in this sport. And it’s a shame we missed out on this opportunity to make the gap bigger.”

The good news for Verstappen is that the top order at the driver’s standings remains unchanged. Reason? Well, Hamilton, too, had a rather disappointing end to the race.

The Briton late-braked going into turn 1 following the second standing start of the race, forcing him to drive straight into the run-off area. And by the time he turned his car back onto the track, the entire pack had gone ahead.

So, Verstappen gets to keep his championship lead for the second race weekend in a row. But, can Mercedes put an end to the Dutchman’s dominance over the upcoming race weekend in France?

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