Max Verstappen already looks ahead to the Italian Grand Prix weekend. The Dutchman has bad news for his fans who hoped for revenge after his disappointing last home race. According to Verstappen, ‘no miracles’ should be expected at Monza: ‘We were already behind before all our competitors brought upgrades to the Italian race weekend’.
Max Verstappen traveled to Monza after a disappointing last home race at Zandvoort. The Dutchman is immediately asked about his expectations ahead of the Italian Grand Prix weekend and does not predict much good.
“Really painful,” he predicts for the race weekend to the attending media. The Red Bull driver also immediately explains why. “Monza is a hugely energy-inefficient circuit. But on the other hand, I don’t want to be too negative about it. It is what it is. I have mentally accepted it and just prepared for a weekend that turns out differently. You simply can’t go full throttle. We just have to be careful with the accelerator, let’s put it that way.”
Verstappen had already expressed his dissatisfaction with the current F1 regulations earlier. The fact that the rules have now been slightly adjusted, according to the four-time world champion, helps little. “It also happens on normal circuits, where adjustments are made to make it better. But better doesn’t mean it’s solved. It’s far from solved. Everyone is simply doing their utmost – the FIA, F1 – to try to deal with the situation as best as possible.”
No ‘miracles’ for Monza
The expectations for Red Bull’s performance at Monza are therefore not high for the driver. “On the inefficient circuits, we have simply not been great with our energy consumption so far,” Verstappen explains. “So I don’t expect miracles here; it will still be difficult. The teams around us are currently bringing upgrades, so they are making progress. And since we were already behind, I don’t expect that to suddenly change now. We are simply trying to learn more about the car and about the things we want to see differently next year.”
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