Max not busy with records before Hungary GP: 'More important that we win'
Published on 20 July 2023 by Florence Cobben
The heatwave sweeping across Europe is also felt in Budapest, where in thirty degree heat the Formula 1 drivers head out to chat to the press and fulfill their media obligations. The topic on everyone’s lips is, unsurprisingly, the departure of Nyck de Vries and his replacement by Daniel Ricciardo at AlphaTauri, the sister team of Oracle Red Bull Racing.
Max reflects on the situation: “I spoke already quite a bit with Daniel last week. I could see he was very excited, also after ofcourse driving our car. So ofcourse it’s great to have Daniel back on the grid, within the Red Bull family. He had his little reset I think, so I think he’s ready to go again.”
“Ofcourse on the other side I am also good friends with Nyck, so it was also sad to see him go. But unfortunately y’know that also how this world works. I mean I don’t think there are any hard feelings between the drivers, that's just how it goes. But yeah you have to move on, there are a lot of other opportunities out there, it’s not only Formula 1 in this world of racing. So, I’m sure everyone will land back on their feet, like normal. I think we all know that Nyck is an incredible driver, he’s shown that in every single category. There’s so many categories out there where you can have a great career. Probably more fun than some places in Formula 1, even. I know that he has a lot of opportunities. We saw each other last week and he will definitely find his feet again with a great team somewhere and a great championship.”
Red Bull Racing can beat its 35 year old record of eleven consecutive Grand Prix wins by winning the upcoming Hungary GP. But Max is not preoccupied with that: “I’m honestly not really thinking about that. I’m just here to have a good weekend. Of course I try to win. I’m not going into this weekend thinking 'we can win 12 races in a row'. So, yeah, if we win, that means of course that we break that record but it’s more important that we win.”
Red Bull has added a couple of upgrades to the RB19, of which the new air inlets at the car’s sidepods are the most noticeable. Max: “They look good. Normally it makes the car a bit faster but it also looks nice, so. I had only seen it in a drawing, and I hadn’t driven it in the simulator. Hopefully it also works on track. A bit more grip on the corner. I mean everyone of course, naturally, always tries to improve their car, right? So that’s also what we are trying to do.”
Max explains how a car upgrade takes form: “During the season you indicate when something could be better. In this case, it was planned for a very long time, so I didn’t influence the decision much. From the beginning of the season, the time when the upgrades are brought in is relatively set in stone.”
Looking ahead, Max says: “It’s a nice track, I always enjoy being here, if it’s in a Formula 1 or any other car. And looking forward to the weekend. With these temperatures, it normally should be okay for us. On this circuit it’s all about downforce, and that paired together with slow corners... I don’t know if that’s our strongest point this year.”
During qualification, all the drivers are required to drive on hard compounds during Q1, medium tyres during Q2, and soft tyres during the last part. Max: “I think it plays to the advantage of the better teams, because they usually get the harder and medium tyres in the right window for peak performance earlier.”
Contest Hungarian GP: win a by Max Verstappen signed Verstappen.com Racing cap!
