Max takes his first FWS podium with a stellar drive
Published on 05 February 2014 by Stefan Meens
Max Verstappen demonstrated his raw pace in the first race of the Florida Winter Series event in Palm Beach with an impressive second place. In only his fourth single seater race, Max did not give race winner Antonio Fuoco a moment of rest as he chased him to the finish line.
Despite missing out on the victory, Max showed his phenomenal speed with the fastest lap of the race. His stunning pace was also reflected earlier in the day as the sixteen-year-old youngster claimed P3 for the race 1 starting grid as well as his second pole position in the series, granting him pole for race 3.
Tuesday at 10am local time, the pit lane opened for the first qualifying session which decides the starting grid for race 1. Takashi Kasai and Will Buxton are the first to take to track. The session lasts thirty minutes but most drivers opt to go out in only the closing ten minutes. Max follows that flow as he leaves the pit with eight minutes to go. Four minutes later a red flag halts the session and it seems the talented Dutchman might be in trouble as his fastest lap only puts him in tenth. However, after the session resumes, Max shows he can handle the pressure as he sets a 1:14.025 claiming third. Antonio Fuoco and Nicholas Latifi share the front row as they are a tenth quicker than Max.
Several set-up changes before qualifying paid off for Max
Without a doubt, P3 is a strong performance by Max, who recovered well after a difficult Monday in which oversteer hindered him to push in the free practice sessions. "The set-up changes we made yesterday gave me confidence for the first qualifying. Unfortunately, the red flag prevented me to get the most out of the car and tyres. But in the end I can't complain as the car felt good and I claimed a decent third spot on the grid", explains a happy Max.
The start of qualifying 2 feels like a deja-vu as Kasai and Buxton put in the first lap times. However, the front runners and potential pole sitters for race 3, remain patiently in the pits until the second half of the session. With ten minutes left on the clock, a fierce fight for pole unravels as Ferrari Driver Academy member Raffaele Marciello claims a provisional top spot. The Italian cannot enjoy pole for long as Max, Dennis van de Laar and Ed Jones all improve on Marciello's time.
As the session draws to a close it appears Max is out of contention for the front row as he sits in fifth. However, seconds before the session ends, the Dutch racer is putting in purple sector times and in his last lap he claims pole position with a stunning 1:13.626. Jones joins Max at the very front of the starting line up with Fuoco clinching third.
Max has found the speed in the car
It was a truly epic fight for pole position as the top five are separated by a mere two and a half tenths. Without a doubt, Max was the fastest man on track as both his last and penultimate lap would have given the Dutchman top spot. "The second qualifying session went great, the car was nice to drive and very consistent throughout the session."
As the lights go green for race 1, all drivers have a clean getaway of the line resulting in the front runners to hold their starting positions after the first lap. In lap two Max overtakes Latifi for second while pole sitter and race leader Fuoco has already created a gap (1.6 seconds). In the dozen laps that follow, Max slowly closes the gap while building up a lead over third. In lap fourteen it appears Max is close enough to attack Fuoco for the race lead.
Max explains: "I was really close to Fuoco but as we turned onto the main straight, I ran wide into the grass, nearly ending in the wall. I managed to get back on track but by then Fuoco had gained a two second gap, so I had to start from scratch."
Max uses every inch of the track
Despite the minor excursion into the grass, Max was the fastest man on track. Not only did he set the fastest lap of the race (1:14.009), he also closed the gap to Fuoco again. Unfortunately the race finished before Verstappen junior could mount a final overtaking manoeuvre. "It is very difficult to overtake on this track due to the nature of the long sweeping corners so I'm very pleased with second place. Combined with the qualifying results, it was a great day."
Due to the reverse grid rule, the front runners will start race 2 at the back of the grid, with Max in ninth, Fuoco behind him and Ed Jones in front. Race 3 will see Max start from pole so keep an eye on the website to hear the latest news regarding Max in Palm Beach.
Results day 2 (Tuesday February 4) – Palm Beach International Raceway – Florida Winter Series:
Results qualifying 1
Results qualifying 2
Results race 1
Schedule Florida Winter Series Round 2, Palm Beach International Raceway (GMT):
Wednesday February 5 04.00pm-04.30pm: Race 2 08.45pm-09.15pm: Race 3
Select for a direct link to the Florida Winter Series livetiming.
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