Romanian Christian Chievo, coach of Inter Milan, said that his team will always go through fluctuations during the course of the season, stressing the need for the team to show a reaction after its loss in the Milan derby to its traditional rival, Milan.
Inter Milan will enter the international break while occupying second place in the Italian League with 28 points, just one point behind leaders Lazio, after the team compensated for its loss against Milan by beating Dutch Feyenoord 3-0 in the Champions League and then beating Como 2-0 in the league.
The coach was in Parma on Monday to receive an award in the city where his career in senior management began in 2025.
Chievo said during the awards ceremony: “Seasons are long, and there will always be ups and downs. You know very well that you need a lot of hard work, patience, sacrifice, and the ability to stick together and get back on your feet again.”
He added: “We must do everything we can to achieve results, realizing that you will stumble sometimes, but the important thing is how you react. We must not get overly excited when we win, nor fall into depression when things do not go well.”
Chievo continued: “We will continue to do our best to maintain that competitiveness that we need to finish a season that we feel can be strong.”
Briton Lando Norris won the Brazilian Grand Prix in the Formula 1 World Championship, and the Mercedes team led by newly crowned world champion Italian Kimi Antonelli won the constructors' title, but Dutchman Max Verstappen was the one who had the strongest message in preparation for the 2027 season and beyond.
In the homeland of his partner Kelly Beckett's family, the 29-year-old Dutch Red Bull driver presented a heroic display that has become familiar, as he started from 21st place on the starting grid and finished the race second behind McLaren driver Norris (26 years old) and in front of his French colleague Isaac Hajjar.
After a stormy race at the Interlagos circuit, Agence France-Presse reviews three main takeaways from the Brazilian Grand Prix on Sunday:
Quiet Verstappen is chasing his fifth title
By finishing on the podium for the eighth time in a row and tenth in the last 11 races, the four-time world champion proved that he is not only a driver who excels in various conditions and tracks, but also that Red Bull will once again be the team to beat next season.
After a turbulent year that witnessed the departure of British manager Christian Horner, Verstappen seems more confident in his car and his team, and has returned to his best levels, if not better, benefiting from the stability of his family life and his adoption of a calmer approach to his work.
During the 90-minute qualifying trial pause due to rain on Saturday, he resorted to entertaining himself in what he described as a “wasted day,” after he knew that he would start Sunday’s race from the back of the race, regardless of his result in qualifying.
While others were busy monitoring computer screens and analyzing data, he was watching English football matches on television.
“I watched a lot of different matches,” he said.
He added: “But the Nottingham Forest and Manchester City match was the last before I got back to the car. The score was 3-1, and I watched a wonderful goal before I put on my helmet and got into the car.”
This showed how easily Verstappen transitioned between the persona of a professional driver and his ordinary persona away from the track.
He also presented his helmet on Sunday to Olly Schack, the mechanic responsible for the front of his car and who spent 20 years with Red Bull, on the occasion of his departure from the team.
Shaq was very busy after providing Verstappen's car with a new power unit and the resulting penalty.
"He's amazing," Verstappen said tersely about Shaq.
As for the Danish mechanic, who is preparing to return to his country in search of a quieter life, he said: “Max is a very calm person when he is not inside the car. He loves to joke around and is fun to work with.”
He added: “He is like (Portuguese) Cristiano Ronaldo or (Argentinian) Lionel Messi. "But when he sits in a Formula One car, he has that extra touch that can't be taught."
Verstappen is no longer the impulsive driver who was known as “Mad Max” in his early years with Red Bull. Rather, he has become a more mature and accomplished version, ready to achieve more successes alongside a colleague who provides real support to the team.
Norris confirms McLaren's ability to compete
Norris appeared humble as usual after achieving the fourteenth victory in his career, indicating that the improved version of the McLaren car was once again able to compete at the front after a season characterized by fluctuations.
This was only his third victory this season, all of which came since July, after he achieved seven victories on his way to winning the Drivers' Championship title last year.
He said: “I definitely put this victory among the best victories I have achieved.”
But he downplayed his team's chances next season, saying: "The numbers show that we are still generally a tenth or two-twentieth of a second behind the lead, and the new updates have proven effective, but that is still not enough."
If his fellow Australian Oscar Piastri, who ended his cooperation with his manager, his compatriot Mark Webber, last Monday, regains the level he presented in 2025, McLaren may be able to compete with Mercedes and Red Bull who have returned to the top in recent races, while Ferrari will need a strong push at the end of the season to remain within the competition circle.
Lawson proves his character
Liam Lawson continued to achieve results beyond expectations with the Racing Bulls team, after he finished the race in seventh place after Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc from Monaco was penalized by adding five seconds to his time due to his collision with him, which strengthened the New Zealander’s chances of keeping his seat.
Although there is still uncertainty about his future with the Red Bull-owned team, Lawson showed his likeable character through a series of five consecutive points finishes, moving him to ninth place in the drivers’ standings.
However, Racing Bulls still refuses to offer him a new contract.
The 24-year-old driver admitted that the world of Formula One sometimes works in strange ways, whether for commercial or political reasons.
“I'm just trying to enjoy driving the car, because with everything going on around me, I don't really know what else I'm supposed to do,” he said.
