Max in Montreal: 'Extract the most out of myself and the car'
Published on 06 June 2019 by Stefan Meens
Ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal, Max Verstappen is realistic regarding Aston Martin Red Bull Racing’s chances at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. “We know Ferrari has good top speed so this track will suit them more. Compared to Monaco, this circuit won’t suit us well. But we’ll see. I’m not worried; we can only influence the factors within our control. I’ll try to extract the most out of myself and find a good set-up for the car.”
Max adds: “I feel good within the team. I’m also relaxed, which helps. The past few years we spent a lot of time together so we know each other better. The communication is good and I’m happy here. So I’m confident.”
Nevertheless, improvements are still necessary if Red Bull Racing want to contest the win. “It’s not easy to close the gap because Mercedes are doing a great job”, explains Max. We’ll have to improve in every area, both car and power-unit, to challenge them.”
Honda is working hard to extract more power from its power-unit. “Ferrari clearly has the best engine. Of course, you always want the engine with the most power but it doesn’t need to be the decisive factor. There are some big steps coming from Honda, hopefully they’re bigger than the onces our competitors make.”
Despite what appears to be an aggressive driving style, Max is a master of preserving the tyres. “It might look a bit aggressive, but my driving style is very smooth. That’s how I feel it. I think all my career I’ve been a smooth driver”, explains Max.
This year, the main challenge for the Formula 1 teams appears to be the ability to get the tyres in the right operating window; slightly too cold or too hot means the Pirellis provides significantly less grip. “It’s never easy to get right, also not in Monaco. You try to understand it as much as you can but some weekends it works better than others. But no team or driver has found it easy", concludes Max.
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