Max Verstappen landed on the COTA podium in third but made no effort to hide his frustration. The Dutchman called Red Bull "just a little average" after a strategic misfire handed Kimi Antonelli a commanding win. Red Bull stuck with softer compounds based on what worked in Malaysia and Singapore, but the harder tires were the play in Texas — Mercedes proved it with a one-stop that left the two-stopping field in the dust. Verstappen said the RB22 lacked a defining edge in Austin, neither fastest through the high-speed esses nor quickest in the stadium section's tight work. Power unit gremlins compounded the issue, bleeding lap time he couldn't claw back. He thinks second was there with the right rubber, but that's a guess in the rearview now. The result snaps a two-race win streak and leaves Red Bull with uncomfortable questions as the championship run tightens.
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