Yas Marina (United Arab Emirates) (AFP)

"You have to be stronger at the start of the season to make things more difficult" for Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton, urged the Dutchman Max Verstappen (Red Bull) after his victory on Sunday in the last GP of 2020, in Abu Dhabi.

Q: You led from start to finish from pole position without ever looking threatened.

Tell us about your race.

A: "It was a pleasant race. I got off to a decent start then I was able to manage my lead and preserve my tires. The timing of the safety car was not ideal because then we had a very long relay on the tires that had just been changed but, luckily, they held up, even if we had to be a little careful.The car was really good today, which made things easier (...) Impossible to be foot to the ground but that is in any case not possible here, it would be too demanding on the tires. "

Q: Did you expect to dominate Mercedes so much, 2nd and 3rd?

A: "I didn't expect to be in pole position and win. Well, maybe just a little ... I read that they had to reduce the power of their engine, which did not help them. Not helped. But overall the performance of our car was solid, better than expected. It's a great way to end the season, a boost for everyone in the car. team. I hope we will remember from the past years that we have to be stronger at the start of the season to make things more difficult for them. "

Q: Are you optimistic about 2021 then?

A: "I don't want to think about it right now. We know what to do: work hard during the winter to be better and stronger. We can't just rely on that result. We still need a lot. improve the car. We know some of the areas we have to work on. On the car but also the power unit, we need more (...) We approach winter in a good mood and it's always good to win the last one, for the whole team, especially after a year like this, with so many consecutive races in such a short time (because of the new coronavirus pandemic, editor's note). It was hard for everyone , on the tracks and at the factory, where they made the many new parts that we brought in this year! I hope that we will understand and build a better car to start next year. "

Remarks gathered during a press video conference.

© 2020 AFP