Max ahead of Belgian GP: 'I like racing out in front'
Published on 27 July 2023 by Stefan Meens
Whilst a light drizzle of rain painted a traditional background for the Spa-Francorchamps circuit in the Ardennes Forrest, Max Verstappen spoke to the media ahead of this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix from the comfort of the Red Bull Energy station at the heart of the F1 paddock.
Before previewing this weekend’s event, Max was asked about the podium incident at the last race in Budapest, where runner-up Lando Norris accidentally broke the Dutchman’s winner’s trophy. “The trophy isn’t mine, but the team’s. But we’re getting a new one, so that’s fine. I think the old one is now back at the factory at Milton Keynes. We’ll have to wait for the new one, it takes about six months to make one.”
Spa-Francorchamps is a favourite track among drivers, but recently the circuit was the scene of a tragic incident in wet conditions in which 18-year-old Dilano van ‘t Hoff lost his life. With rain predicted for this weekend’s Grand Prix, the track’s safety will be on the minds of those in the paddock. Max said: “I don’t think it’s circuit specific. On every track, accidents can happen, especially in the rain. Of course, Eau Rouge is quite a dangerous corner, but there are other dangerous corners on other circuits and in the wet, risks are higher. I think race control is confident enough to decide if it’s safe to race.”
Looking ahead to the upcoming event, the last before the summer break, Max is confident in the pace of RB19, which featured an upgrade at the Hungaroring. “We have quick car, but there are teams that have brought more upgrades than us, because we couldn’t. We’re happy with the performance of the car. The Saturday in Hungary wasn’t ideal but on Sunday during the race you could see our upgrades worked well.”
Thus far, Oracle Red Bull Racing’s 2023 campaign has been record breaking, with the team establishing a winning streak of twelve races in a row. Despite the success, the double world champion is not focussed on records. “I just focus on myself and try to win every race. We try to maintain this, we are enjoying the moment. It’s a great effort from the whole team. We might have a dominant car, but it’s easy to make a mistake. I’m proud to be part of Red Bull and our achievements.”
The Dutchman added: “The car isn’t just nice to drive, but also easy to set up. The balance is good, although that can differ per race, or even during a weekend like last week in Budapest. The trick is also to get the tyres in the right operating window and to optimise everything.”
With both Max and the team performing at a high level this season, Max is looking forward to this weekend, which features another sprint race. “I think we’re quick both in the wet and the dry. It looks like it’s going to be quite wet this weekend, but I’m looking forward to it. It’s a great circuit and it would be amazing to win here again.”
Despite the superiority of this year’s car, Max does not mind driving alone in the lead. “I like solo races. Maybe that’s not as interesting fort he sport, but we try to make the gap to the rest bigger, that’s the goal. I don’t mind having to fight for it, I’ve done that all my life, so I don’t mind if I don’t have to all the time.”
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