Max pleased after first day at Monza

Published on 11 June 2014 by Stefan Meens

In a sweltering northern Italy, Van Amersfoort Racing and its three drivers absolved the first day of their two day test at Monza. The main goal for Max Verstappen was to test and improve the brakes. The iconic Italian circuit, with its long straights and chicanes, provides an excellent location to prepare for the upcoming FIA Formula 3 European Championship round at Spa-Francorchamps.

It is Max' first time at Monza. “It's a fun and challenging track. It's all about late and hard braking into the chicanes. Combined with several fast turns, it makes for a compelling and interesting circuit.” On top of getting to grips with a new track, the drivers faced the challenge of racing in temperatures up to 38 degrees. “Once you are driving, it's ok, but when you drive into the pits, you can really feel the warm temperatures”, reveals Max.

“It went well today, especially in the morning. The most important aim of the day was to test the brakes and we focused on that in the morning. We tried different brake pads from different manufacturers and in the end we settled on a different make.”

At Monza, the Van Amersfoort Racing team is the only Formula 3 outfit present. The Dutch team shared the track with several Formula Renault 2.0 and Formula 4 teams which meant over 30 cars occupied the tarmac of the iconic circuit. “During my last run on new tyres I experienced a lot of traffic. If I had been able to combine all my fastest sector time in one fast lap, I would have been a lot quicker. But in the end, lap time doesn’t really matter as we are here to test the brakes and I think we progressed on that front.”

On Thursday, the three Van Amersfoort Racing drivers will once again take to the high-speed track. “We'll continue to work on our set up. Despite having a good day, we'll always seek to improve”, concludes an ambitious Max.

Fastest lap times Monza test – Wednesday June 11 

Morning session

Max Verstappen     1:45.734 (39 laps)
Gustavo Menezes    1:46.643 (36 laps)
Jules Szymkowiak   1:46.805 (39 laps)

Afternoon session:

Max Verstappen     1:45.903 (39 laps)
Jules Szymkowiak   1:46.129 (40 laps)
Gustavo Menezes    1:46.258 (40 laps)