Max ready to race in front of Orange Army: 'Hopefully I need less overtaking'

Published on 01 September 2022 by Stefan Meens

Fresh from becoming and Officer in the Order of Orange-Nassau, Max Verstappen walked into the Circuit Zandvoort paddock to prepare for the upcoming Dutch Grand Prix this weekend.

The Oracle Red Bull Racing driver is excited to be back for the second edition of his home event after it returned to the Formula 1 calendar in 2021. “Last year it was already incredible to drive here, and I’m expecting an amazing atmosphere again with a lot of orange trackside. It’s amazing to drive a Formula 1 car here, especially during qualifying.”

To perform in front of his home crowd does not phase the reigning champion. “I just approach this weekend the same as every other weekend, and as always I will try to make the most of it. It’s difficult to judge where we’ll be at, but after Spa I have the feeling we’ll have a good care here. Although everyone expects me to just win this race, it’s not that easy, and ultimately you can’t do more than your best. That’s the only thing you can control yourself.”

Although a home race does not lead to more pressure, Max does love seeing the Orange Army cheer him on. “The atmosphere is amazing, but it doesn’t make me faster. It’s just cool to the party happening, especially with that sea of orange. I’ll try to enjoy it as much as I can!”

After a dominant weekend in last week’s Belgian Grand Prix, Max expects a tougher weekend in Zandvoort. “Spa was amazing and went better than expected. The lay-out of the track seemed to suit us a lot. But here, it’s all about downforce and in general less about top speed. So it will be interesting. If we can get the set-up perfect, we will be quick. We just don’t know how quick we’ll be compared to the others. But I hope to not need as much overtaking as I did in the last couple of races.”

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