Max Verstappen has Imola he found victory again after the defeat in Miami, however he admitted that compared to other times it wasn't so easy. Thanks above all to the pressure from McLaren but also to some problems affecting the RB20. At this stage Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari are very close. The first updates have restored competitiveness to McLaren which in Monaco hopes to finally have its chance to place ahead of Red Bull in qualifying, the most important session of the weekend. Let's see Max Verstappen's statements in view of weekend in the Principality, in Monaco.
From Imola to Monaco, Max predicts a difficult weekend
If Imola was a rather unexpected disappointment for Red Bull, it is difficult to imagine what Monaco will be like, which historically has never been a friendly track for Red Bull. During the press conference in Monaco Max Verstappen justified his fears with the following statements:
“Monaco is totally different from Imola, and looking at the track probably it won't be our best track because our car normally struggles on dips and curbs – he explained in the pre-GP press conference reserved for drivers – we have worked on it a bit, and so far I think that in almost all the tracks we have been on our performance in low-speed corners speed has improved. I don't think it will be an easy weekend: Monaco is never very linear even when you expect to have the best car because it is a very complicated track in making everything work. There may be red flags and other events that can upset plans. Things can go right or wrong, so we have to be on track."
Max warns: “This is one of the most difficult tracks for us”
Having problems in Monaco, not having the right feeling to tackle corners with walls so close together is not ideal. Max obviously hopes to be able to immediately count on a competitive and reliable car, without having to correct too much. Another of the topics that Verstappen addressed is also linked to the path of his opponents and the growth that led them to qualifying that was played on the edge of a thousandth.
“Imola started very badly, but then we managed to make a turning point – he added – I wouldn't want to relive a weekend like that because it's very stressful and not pleasant, but we know that this is one of the most difficult tracks for us. We'll see what level we are at starting from tomorrow. In recent years the Ferrari has always been strong here, and moreover there McLaren in the last two races he has made good progress in terms of performance and will be one to keep an eye on. There can be some surprises in Monaco: Ocon did a fantastic lap last year in qualifying, and unexpected things can happen when one feels good and has a lot of confidence."
Another championship from Miami
In Miami McLaren took their first victory of the season with Lando Norris. A victory that came not by chance, but thanks to the team's work to make the MCL38 more competitive. In the wake of what was done last year, at the end of the season. This will inevitably make some races more unpredictable. One of these races is Monaco, where qualifying makes 95% of the result. At the moment Max has taken Pole in every single stage of this season, but to do so in Monaco too he will have to have everything under control, and put a lot of himself into it.
“After Miami it was very clear that everyone had warmed up to us. Imola wasn't the easiest weekend and in Monaco it will depend on who manages to find the best set-up, but the values have certainly become closer. It's important for us to be 100%, and that's not always a realistic possibility, but we always try to reach a certain level. In the last few races we may not have managed to reach that level, but we try again every weekend to find the best possible set-up, but it's clear that the others are getting closer. In Monaco it's difficult to put everything together and get pole, I don't want to look too far ahead. So far I've done very well in qualifying and I will clearly aim for pole, but here it's never a given."
Source statements: FormulaPassion
