Column: Jos Verstappen - Racing at Interlagos was a challenge
Published on 13 November 2015 by Stefan Meens
Jos Verstappen is still the Netherlands most successful Formula 1 driver. This season he shares his opinions regarding the sport via a column in Dutch daily newspaper De Telegraaf. Below the latest edition.
“If someone asks me what my best memory of Interlagos is, I don’t have to think. I don’t have one. Both at my first race in 1994 and my last one in 2003, I didn’t finish. That sums it up pretty well.
In 1994 I was pushed of the track when I tried to overtake Eddie Irvine. My left wheel hit the grass and I spun at high speed. In 2003, I spun in the rain, in turn three, after a safety car. The only comfort I could hold on to was that I wasn’t the only driver who'd gone off there.
Brazil is an amazing country to race in, also because of the history, but as I driver I never really enjoyed it. I always found Interlagos a tough track, a real challenge. In my time, it was always one of the first races of the season. And because I often drove for a team that didn’t do a lot of pre-season testing, the preparation was hardly ever optimal. As a driver you paid the price for it, especially on an anti-clockwise track like Interlagos with its long, never ending corners. Of course I would train hard prior to the season, but it was never quite the same as when you're actually racing.
After the race in 2000, when I drove for Arrows, I wasn’t able to keep my head up, I was that exhausted. Nowadays the drivers are physically much better prepared for a whole season. That's something I've seen with Max. He is being supported by a whole team of expert from Red Bull. The difference between today and when I raced is huge. Also, back in the day, the cars didn’t have power steering. So as your arms grew tired during the race, you could feel it in your neck as well.
In the end, I finished that race in seventh, at the time one spot away from a points finish, which made it even tougher after the race. I wasn’t able to take my helmet of myself, my arms were so weak. I had to lie down for at least two hours to recover. I was unable to do anything. I never experienced something similar afterwards.
Nowadays it is not as tough on the drivers. That's partly because they're being prepared much better but also because the cars have power steering. That's why I'm not expecting Max to struggle. He never really struggles, not even after the Austin race, which is also anti-clockwise.
Interlagos has several fast corners that suit the car so I think he'd do well to finish round about P10. Of course I'm hoping for a shower here and there, because that mixes things up completely."
Jos Verstappen
Source: De Telegraaf/Telesport
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