Max Verstappen does not think it is fair to compare his overtakes from the Brazilian Grand Prix with Lewis Hamilton's struggle to pass Nico Rosberg for the lead.
After the race Hamilton complained it was "impossible" to follow and therefore overtake his Mercedes team-mate, though Verstappen had pulled off one of the moves of the season against Sergio Perez around the outside of Turn 1. However Verstappen said he and Toro Rosso team-mate Carlos Sainz find it difficult to pass when behind the other, highlighting the difficulty in overtaking the same car in modern F1.
"With a Mercedes, maybe they have problems when they are very close to each other," Verstappen is quoted as saying by Motorsport.com. "Plus, their speed is higher, and they both had good pace, so maybe it is more difficult for them. I know when the Toro Rossos are behind each other it is difficult to get past, so if you have the same type of car it is very hard."
Though Verstappen was frustrated with Toro Rosso's lack of straight-line speed during the race, his car's superior cornering speed allowed him to set up the moves through his exit from the final turn. Verstappen says differences between cars is a vital part of overtaking and another reason he sympathises with Hamilton's post-race comments.
"We have very good cornering speed, so if we are behind a Lotus, Sauber or Force India we catch up in the fast corners, even when we are behind. So that is different for sure.
"For them [Mercedes], it is equal everywhere -- on the corners and the straights. When your car is exactly the same as your teammate and you are behind, it is very tough. And when you are behind, you lose a lot in the fast corners. So I can understand Lewis saying that."