Max happy to see fans during Friday practice: 'I saw orange smoke, it's amazing'
Published on 02 July 2021 by Stefan Meens
Following Friday practice at the Austrian Grand Prix, Ziggo Sport’s Olav Mol caught up with Max Verstappen to discuss the opening day at the Red Bull Ring.
After winning here a week ago, do you start with the same set-up as last weekend? “You always try to change a few things, which I did. It’s also a bit cooler now, so you’ll need a different set-up, because the grip is different.”
Are you happy with your two practice sessions today? “Yes, we were able to put in good lap times easily. We were third in FP2, but we were near the front. It looked good. We know what engine settings we used. On the soft tyre it didn’t go as well, but we were still at the sharp end. In the long runs we clearly have the pace.”
This weekend, all drivers were allocated two sets of Pirelli prototype rear tyres. What did you make of them? “We used our two sets already. The tyre didn’t feel bad. The speed was the same.”
Why can you set a lower tyre pressure with these new tyres? “Because they have a stiffer construction. Everyone had to do fourteen laps on them. It felt good. It’s of course obvious why they had to make changes, I don’t need to say much about that.”
Do you think Mercedes looked too close in the long runs? “For me it all felt good and that’s the main thing. The next couple of days will be warmer so it’s difficult to say how that works out, but it’s positive all felt good.”
This weekend, fans are allowed back in and we see the Orange Army pop up here and there. “Yes, even in the first practice session, on my first outlap, I could see orange smoke in turns six and seven. It’s amazing!”
Now that you’re leading the championship, do you look differently at a second place? “I always try to win the race of course. At the moment I don’t really look at second place. I want to win every weekend, and if that isn’t possible, I’ll try to score as many points as possible. Of course, it’s different now but I don’t really think about it. I just do my thing. I get in the car and push the pedals. When I’m outside the car, I do other things. When I’m back in the car, I make sure I go fast.
Do you feel that drivers treat you differently on track now that you’re leading the championship? “That’s not something I think about”, concludes Max with a smile.
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