"I did not expect that at all": Verstappen stuns with pit lane-to-podium charge despite puncture

Written by Kavi Khandelwal

Max Verstappen produced a spectacular comeback drive at the 2025 São Paulo Grand Prix, charging from a pit lane start to an "incredible" third-place finish, a result he admitted he "definitely didn't expect" when he woke up this morning.

Credit: Formula One

The Red Bull driver's race was "quite full on" from the start, and his challenge was compounded by more than just his starting position. After a strong getaway following the Safety Car restart, his progress was immediately halted.

"I had a good first lap after the safety car, already overtook some guys but then yeah somehow we picked up that puncture," Verstappen explained. "Maybe from some debris that flew off in front of me... that's why we had to box again."

Despite the extra pit stop, Verstappen and his team remained undeterred. The comeback, which evoked memories of his P17-to-win charge at the same venue last year, was built on raw pace and sharp strategy.

"I think we had strong pace, we did the right calls as well with the strategy," he said. "Our pace was quite strong, overall, the stints... To be on the podium from the pit lane is something that I definitely didn't expect."

The result was a powerful statement of resilience after a "very tough" Saturday. Verstappen praised his team's mentality, which he felt was on full display.

"I also want to say a big thank you to the team because it's been tough but we are all in this together and we never give up," he stated. "We take risks, yes, but I like that, you know to always try and be better because we don't want to settle for a second."

The sheer speed of the recovery was what impressed Verstappen the most, noting that he finished "only 10 seconds from the lead," a gap he called "incredible."

When asked what the result meant for his championship hopes, however, Verstappen was quick to dismiss the idea.

"Yeah well let's not use that word at the moment because it's too many points to really have a proper chance of that," he said bluntly. "I think if you look of course at the whole season we gave away too many points from the beginning till the middle of the season."

For now, his focus is on ending the year with strong individual performances. "I think for us now to the end is trying to just have these highlights, have good race weekends... but at least the race was very promising."