To keep focus for so many laps was hard: Verstappen

With Sunday's win, Verstappen took over the lead of the drivers’ world championship from Mercedes driver and Briton Lewis Hamilton

Obviously, Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen is a happy man after winning the Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday.

“I’m super happy to win the Monaco Grand Prix. It’s such a tricky track and you need a smooth weekend. So, I’m very pleased with what we have achieved as a team and of course with Honda. I just had to focus on my own race and make sure I had a clean start. Of course, it all looked under control but to keep your focus for so many laps is the hardest part because it’s easy to relax when you’re in the lead and make a mistake, so you have to keep reminding yourself to leave your thoughts on the road and stay focused,” said the Dutchman.

With this win, Verstappen took over the lead of the drivers’ world championship from Mercedes driver and Briton Lewis Hamilton, although the lead is a slender four points. Hamilton finished the race in the seventh spot.

This was also his maiden win in the race at the principality. He started second on the grid, with Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas third. Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc was on pole position but did not start the race due to driveshaft problems on the car.

Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz finished in the second place, while it was a surprise to see McLaren driver Lando Norris notching up a fantastic third place.

Overall, Verstappen expressed happiness with this performance and pace. “Pace wise, we were always in control because every time someone tried to push me in terms of lap time, we were able to respond and increase the gap. I’ve never been on the podium here and then the first time it’s a win, so it’s a bit of redemption for the other races I’ve had here," he felt.

With the lead in hand, the Dutchman is looking forward to extend the lead in the next race in Azerbaijan in two weeks’ time. “Looking ahead to Baku, Mercedes I think are still the ones to beat, they are very quick on the normal tracks. We are leading the championship and I hope to be there at the end of the season because that’s the most important thing. We cannot get carried away," he said.

Red Bull Racing Team Principal Christian Horner was no less happy with the day’s result. "Max was disappointed that we didn’t get to see him deliver a pole position lap but he dealt with the frustration well and when the opportunity presented itself, he seized it with both hands, driving faultlessly from start to finish to deliver our fifth Monaco victory," he said.

"There is a long way to go in this championship but we should always enjoy the wins. The championship is very tight at the top and today was an important step for us,” he added.