He got that moniker partly because Racing Point loved starting on hards and going long. Not to say he didn't execute well, but it was also a product of strategy.
I was laughing when the podium cars were lined up. Max's tires were absolutely shredded, Checo's were fairly bad, Lando's had some light wear. Max makes it look easy to drive on tires that look like they were in a warzone.
It is bits of rubber outside of trajectory. Drivers drive on them after crossing finish line. They stick to the tires and add some weight. It helps from DQ in some cases.