Max looks ahead with Ziggo: 'It feels good'

Published on 28 February 2020 by Mike Motilall

His off-season testing on Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is over by now and as always, Max Verstappen has made some time free on the last day of testing to have a chat with Ziggo’s Formula 1-commentator Olav Mol regarding the coming race season. The interview was taped on Friday morning and with still half a day to go, Olav opens the interview with the question if testing is starting to look like work. The Aston Martin Red Bull Racing-driver replies in turn: “I think it’s all in the game. Ultimately I was able to turn my hobby into my job and that is always nice.”

The amount of days testing has gone from two times four to two times three. How was that? Max: “I actually don’t mind it that much, I found eight days quite a lot. In the end, it’s the same for everyone. I don’t mind if we test fewer days and then head off immediately to the race.”

This year the rules will stay pretty much the same and the cars are ridiculously fast at this moment. Max explains: “The cars corner very fast and are once again a step ahead compared to last year. It’s a pity that, from next year onwards, we’ll be going a bit slower, but now it’s very hard to follow someone. I have been behind someone a few times and you just cannot get any closer. Lap records are nice and all, but in the end racing still has to be fun. Upfront you just know that on some tracks qualifying is just very important because in the race there isn’t much you can do.”

Someone at Honda has apparently claimed that the new Honda-engine has a ‘partymode’. Max regarding that: “We’ll see in Melbourne”. Whether the RB16 is last year’s car with some new stuff on it or that this car is completely new, Max replies: “Of course it’s not a completely new car, but I think that the balance is better now and there have been some small adjustments. In general, the cars have remained the same because the rules haven’t changed. So when I climbed in, I knew where to brake.”

This year Zandvoort is on the calendar. What are your thoughts on that, do you see it as your home race? Max: “Yes, I do but I am not too bothered about that. A lot of Dutch fans will be there, it will be a madhouse for sure, but for me, well, I just need to focus myself on the weekend itself. It’s all good and well all that orange but my performance is the most important thing. I will treat that weekend like I treat any other weekend. It wouldn’t be right if I were to be suddenly extra motivated there, because then you are not doing it right during the other weekends.”

Regarding how, within the team itself and Max are busy with the stories about the corona virus, the Dutchman answers: “It’s getting closer and closer of course and I think that everyone is taking the necessary precautions. We’ll see what Formula 1 and the FIA will decide for the coming races, e.g. we are looking if everyone will be allowed to enter Australia.”

Max also explains why from this season onwards we can see a new physical therapist at his side. Max: “Jake didn’t want to attend the races anymore. He only wanted to do the training apart from the races which meant that I would have to start working with two trainers. That is just simply not logical for me. I think it is much better to have just one steady trainer with whom you can build a good relationship with. We parted our ways as good friends and have had five nice years together.”

To conclude matters, Max compares the feeling in the car during Winter testing last year and the feeling he had from the test the last few weeks. “The feeling is good of course, but we need to wait and see how good it actually is. Nobody from the top-teams has actually gone flat out. We’ll see how it pans out in Melbourne. My gut feeling is okay, the car is well balanced, but if it is enough, we need to wait and see.”