Max tops the final F3 pre-season test session
Published on 10 April 2014 by Stefan Meens
Max Verstappen heads to the FIA F3 European Championship opener at Silverstone with confidence after ending the last test day in first. At the picturesque Red Bull Ring in Austria, the Dutchman saved the best for last. After a good P2 in the morning session, Max set the fastest time of the event, two tenths ahead of the pack.
In the afternoon, Max is straightaway on the pace as he sets the fastest lap of session so far, with a 1:24.2. However, the Dutchman has more up his sleeve. With twenty minutes on the clock, Max heads out for his final run of the day. In a twelve-lap stint, Verstappen junior keeps perfecting his lap time until he settles with a 1:23.690. It proves to be the fastest lap of the two-day test. Tom Blomqvist and Antonio Giovinazzi trail the Dutchman by two tenths.
The 16-year-old racer absolves 64 laps in the afternoon and is delighted with the progress made: “We definitely have speed. And it's great to set the fastest lap of the test, but this is not a race weekend. I've only tested five days in this F3-racer so there definitely things I can improve on. For example, things like braking a bit later, getting on the power earlier and finding the turn-in point for certain corners.”
Nevertheless, Max reckons him and the team are heading into the right direction: “Things can only go better. We really have been able to improve the car compared to morning session and I learned a lot myself, so Im very pleased about the pre-season testing. A great job by the team as well!”
The pre-season test is wrapped up with officialy scheduled practice starts. In groups of four, two per grid row, the drivers have a go at four starts. Max asbsolves them without issues: “I kept improving after each start and the last one was really good. The most important thing to get right is finding the clutch biting point. A proper start is therefore different to leaving the pit box as you have to maintain high revs”, explains Max.
After two succusfull pre-season tests, at the Hungaroring and the Red Bull Ring, the next stop is the first round of the FIA Formula 3 European Championship at Silverstone. “We'll have to wait to see what happens in England but it appears that we carry some good speed. I honestly cannot wait to contest with Van Amersfoort Racing in my first Formula 3 race!”
Results FIA Formula 3 European Championship pre-season test – Day 2, Wednesday April 9, Red Bull Ring:
Results afternoon session
Results day 2 (sessions combined)
