ANP Max Verstappen in Italy
NOS Sport•vandaag, 07:09
Louis Decker
reporter Formula 1 in Italy
Louis Decker
reporter Formula 1 in Italy
“Of the nine victories in a row, Zandvoort was the most difficult and therefore the best. It was the biggest threat to my winning streak. The circumstances made it very difficult.”
Four days after his victory in the Dutch Grand Prix, Max Verstappen realizes that his triumph in Zandvoort was a gala performance. The bonus prize is up for grabs in Italy. In Monza, Verstappen can improve Sebastian Vettel’s record with a tenth win in a row.
Verstappen: “It would be nice if we could continue the series here, but I don’t drive here with the number ten in my head. Winning the race is much more important to me than setting the counter to ten.”
“I do remember when Vettel took his ninth in a row with Red Bull. I never thought anyone could break that record. Nor that I would win nine in a row. And look at this. It’s a crazy series , but I’m not going to stare blindly at it.”
AFP2013: Vettel wins his ninth GP in a row in Brazil
It wouldn’t be a surprise. Verstappen’s racing stable has won all races this season. Including the final races in 2022, Red Bull Racing is already fourteen grand prix undefeated.
Sergio Pérez is second in the World Cup standings, but Verstappen’s hegemony in particular is unprecedented. The Dutchman seems relieved that the race in his own country is over. “One race is easier than the other,” he says dryly.
“It will all be a bit easier in Monza than in Zandvoort. A home race like that is hectic and this is a completely different circuit. Here it’s all about the highest possible top speed, but also about saving tires. We have to find that balance. it stays dry now. That is sometimes nice: a weekend without rain for a change.”
ANPMax Verstappen in Zandvoort
Verstappen is full of praise for his team. “It could have turned out very differently in Zandvoort. In such weather conditions, mistakes are always lurking. You slip right off. It also demands a lot from the team, but we operate almost flawlessly this year. Zandvoort was all about discipline and calm finishing the laps. I can really enjoy the fact that I succeeded. It’s really complicated enough. Tire choice, strategy, a lot can go wrong.”
Like a robot
25 years young, 46 grand prix victories, two world titles and a third on the way. Nothing will shake the icy calm Verstappen. An orange sea of 105,000 fans? A meeting with the royal family, right before the start of the Dutch GP? Sky-high expectations? Ominous dark clouds? Slippery asphalt? It does ‘Supermax’ apparently little.
In his cockpit, Verstappen seems like a robot by now: mistakes are extremely rare and bookmakers can now better focus on the guess who will cross the finish line second.
NOSGP Italy at the NOS
Zandvoort was yet another proof. Verstappen could have handed over his home race in all sorts of ways, but the two-time champion was lord and master. He has now won nine grand prix in a row. “Max is one of the greatest drivers in Formula 1 history,” said Adrian Newey, Red Bull Racing’s mastermind.
The designer of this year’s unbeatable RB19 is an eyewitness to every race weekend. “Max is performing at the top of his game. His first world title has shaped him. Since then the biggest pressure has been off. It almost seems to come naturally. He drives better than ever. I see complete harmony: he is one with the car. That you only see with the very best.”
‘I’m not here to prove myself’
It is now commonplace: Verstappen is compared to Formula 1 icons such as Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost and Michael Schumacher at every grand prix.
“I’m not concerned with that at all,” says the direct object. “I never went into F1 to end up in such a list of names. I’m not here to prove myself. I don’t need recognition.”
Verstappen prefers the sober view of F1 life. “I just want to perform at my best every race and win as much as possible.”
That sounds simple, but it really isn’t. “As a driver you always have to adapt to a new car. What I ask the team is clear: design the fastest car and I will win races with it. That is the mission, but it will not happen automatically.”
‘Hamilton contract extension good for the sport’
Verstappen welcomes the fact that seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, now 38 years old, has extended his contract with Mercedes.
“That is good for the sport, good for his team and for him. Whether we will fight fierce duels again? We have to wait and see. It mainly depends on the car that Mercedes designs.”
“Sooner or later I’m going to lose another race. I’m not worried about that. Of course I also notice that experience helps to get better. It really doesn’t happen by itself. I’ve also experienced the other side of the coin. In your life you lose more often than you win. That also applies to me, if you count all my races.”
In the run-up to the fourteenth grand prix of the season, a few still hope for a miracle. “I think and hope that the Red Bulls are less dominant on this circuit than elsewhere,” said Pierre Gasly.
The French Alpine driver crossed the finish line in third place in Zandvoort, but he will also be discouraged by Verstappen’s reply. “People are allowed to wish for these things, but I think this circuit suits us very well. Dreaming is allowed.”
2023-09-01 05:09:11
#Verstappen #stoically #heads #record #speed #stamp
