Max visits Exact Barcelona: “We work 24-hour a day here with over 100 people”

Published on 20 February 2019 by Mike Motilall

On Wednesday afternoon, during the lunch break, Max Verstappen took some time to visit Exact, who held their annual International Summit in Barcelona. In an interview with John Dillon, Exact’s Chief Marketing Officer, Max talks about the impact of the new regulations.

“The new rules are intended to create less downforce on the Formula 1-cars, but Red Bull and the other teams on the grid have done a good job in recovering it quite well. Looking at the lap-times we are still going quite quick”, Max explains. “We also have a wider front wing and need to be more careful at the start during the first lap, because the front wing is just as wide as your front tyres, you can easily damage it.”

Naturally, Honda, the new engine supplier is also discussed. Max: “We have more power and so far so good. We barely had any issues, today only a quick one. Because everything is so built into the car, you need to take the floor off and that took some time. With the engine itself we had no problem, so I am very happy with that. We were able to do many laps, everything seems pretty smooth.”

In total there are eight days of testing in Barcelona, those are the days that Formula 1-teams can put their theories to the test. Max says: “Because the test days are so important, we also work with a night shift. They leave again at seven in the morning. We work 24-hour a day these few days with I guess over one hundred people.”

What is your plan from now till the first race? “We are trying to understand the car a bit more and trying some different set ups and see which direction is the best to go. And in general do a lot of laps as well. Tomorrow, when Pierre drives the car, l’ll be in the simulator again in Milton Keynes. We are trying to get as much information we can before the race in Melbourne”, Max concludes for the international crowd at Exact.