Max on winning in Malaysia and Mexico: “Goosebumps watching it again”
Published on 13 November 2017 by Mike Motilall
Yesterday he was still in Brazil, but has returned to the Netherlands by now. The Red Bull Racing-driver was featured in Peptalk on Ziggo Sport. He joined the conversation to discuss a myriad of topics, the past weekend as well as his victories this season.
Regarding the latter, Max is shown some footage. The Dutchman cannot help but to find it very special to watch: “It gives me goosebumps watching it again. They are nice moments, especially the first win this year in Malaysia. After so many bad races, you go back home disappointed, every time. The next race, you’re up and at it again and when it happens again, that’s not a pleasant feeling. When you win the race and you see your sister and father, that’s extra special. The whole family shares the feeling.”
The Red Bull Racing-driver remains pretty down to earth though: “Victories are nice, but when you have won, I quickly get that feeling that we need to move on to the next race and that we need to focus on that. You cannot dwell in the past, that won’t be good. You’re only as good as your last race.”
In Mexico, Max kept the pedal to the metal despite his enormous lead. Verstappen explains this part of the race: “The car felt super and you’re in a kind of flow. You cannot go slower because you’re bound to make mistakes then. We toned the engine down and were doing every lap with less power. But the lap times remained constant, that’s because you are in that flow. It all worked out fine. Your fuel level drops as well, so the car is getting lighter and lighter and you’re going faster and faster. Even the tyres don’t degrade that much on that circuit. Actually, I had to laugh about it.”
Even in Brazil, Max wanted to go for it at the end. The reason for the pit stop was mainly to do with the condition of the tyres: “First of all, it was not a pleasant feeling to keep driving on those tyres. When Hamilton passed me, I lost temperature in my tyres. Because of the fight with him, I also had some more wheelspin. So it would not have been nice to finish like that. I didn’t get the fastest lap time in Mexico, so I thought: ‘we’ll give it a shot over here.’”
Prior to the pit stop, there was some discussion between Max and his engineer: “In the end they understood it as well. The lap times were dropping quite fast, so it was not smart to keep on going like that. Also because the threading of the left front tyre was starting to give. In that case, it’s safer to go get fresher tyres.”
Recently a feasibility study was done to check the possibility for a Grand Prix on Circuit Zandvoort. What does Max think about this? “I think that it is possible. But it’s everything around the location that needs to be taken care of. The track its self could use some more straights, but that is not so extreme. But it would be difficult with run off areas, the infrastructure and the pit building. Also the roads leading to the track, are packed. You need to find ways to solve that. Most importantly is how much needs to be paid in the end and how it will be financed.”
As long as the Dutch Grand Prix doesn’t take place on a street circuit, Max will be more than happy: “We have enough street circuits already. You cannot overtake on them. I don’t find a street circuit as challenging as Spa or Suzuka. A real circuit is what I find best to drive on. During qualifying you can really hit the throttle. On a street circuit you always need to be somewhat cautious.”
Next week, the last Grand Prix of the season is on the agenda. How does your agenda looks like the coming days? “The coming two days I am here for some sponsor activities. After that I am in the sim again. Then I head back home in Monaco before flying out to Abu Dhabi.”
