Verstappen's charge from 21st to second in Brazil ended with a mystery. After slicing through the field in 15 laps on intermediates, the RB22 turned unpredictable the moment he bolted on slicks—"an extreme amount of oversteer" that never went away, even when he switched back to inters. Verstappen suspects damage or aero loss; Red Bull boss Laurent Mekies had no answers post-race but doubts Max had the pace to beat Norris regardless. The upgraded McLaren was quicker in the wet phases, and Norris held a marginal edge on the dry rubber. Could Verstappen have won from pole? Maybe. From 21st? The Race's Jon Noble says no—the MCL38 in those conditions was the car to have, and Norris drove a flawless race. Red Bull's aero degradation ghosts are back, and the championship math just got uglier.
Read the full story at The Race
