Verstappen: P5 the best Red Bull could do in Brazil

Max Verstappen feels fifth place was the most Red Bull could achieve in Sunday's Brazilian Grand Prix as the team struggled to match Formula 1 rivals Mercedes and Ferrari for straight-line speed throughout the race at Interlagos.

Verstappen qualified fourth in Brazil and managed to stay in touch with the leading drivers through the opening stint of the race, only to drop back after pitting and moving onto the soft tyre, allowing the recovering Lewis Hamilton to pass with ease.

Verstappen made a late stop to switch onto the super-soft tyre, allowing him to post the fastest lap of the race late on without losing any more positions, and was left content with the result for Red Bull.

"It was definitely the best position we could do today. We just lost out a lot on the straights, as you could see when Lewis passed me," Verstappen said.

"We have no chance on this track. It's really hard. At the positive side, the first 10, 15 laps in the stint, we were competitive.

"But then you try to compensate what you lose on the straights and you're asking maybe a bit too much from the tyres and the car balance, not like in Mexico for example, and you have more drop-off.

"Then it just gets a bit more difficult."

The result marked Verstappen's worst race finish since retiring from the Singapore Grand Prix in September, with his haul of 90 points through the last five races being greater than any other driver on the grid.