Max ready for second half of the season: 'Great to see the Orange Army again'
Published on 26 August 2021 by Stefan Meens
Ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen reflected on his summer break and looked ahead to the second half of the season from the Spa-Francorchamps paddock.
“I spent most of the break at home in Monaco. I also spent a week and a half at a Caribbean island. It was nice and relaxed. With a triple header coming up, it was good to switch off for a bit. I try to not think about Formula 1, but after a while, you’re eager to get going and to get in an F1 car.”
The first two events are home races for Max with the Dutch Grand Prix following a week after the Belgian Grand Prix. “It will be great to see the orange army. Spa is my favourite track so I like being there. The new race at Zandvoort will be cool, especially qualifying. The circuit was already amazing in a Formula 3 car as well as in the older demo-F1 cars. The new cars will be very fast. With all the fans, a historic track and the beautiful surroundings, I’m really looking forward to it. But first, I want to do well here at Spa.”
What is it you like about Spa? “In Formula 1, I really enjoy the fast corners, that’s where you really feel how fast a car can go. In Spa it’s a combination of the corners and the undulation that makes it a great circuit. Slow corners are boring with little grip. You find most grip in fast corners and Spa has a lot of them.”
How would you judge your changes compared to Mercedes upcoming weekend? “They were strong in Hungary, but we’ll see. They’ll be quick. Traditionally, this is not one of our best tracks because of the long straights, but I know that we’ve closed the gap on top speed compared to last year, but it’s difficult to say where we are. The weather looks like it will be unpredictable too with occasional rain. To be honest, I don’t mind if it’s wet or dry.”
Do you think there is such a thing as momentum in sport? “If there is, I would’ve won the last two races. I don’t really think about stuff like that. Every weekend is one where you have to do well. It really is more about how good your car is that determines your chances of a win. It also depends on the sport.”
Are there any updates on the RB16B for this weekend? “We’ll keep developing some things for the next few races. We’ll see what it does.”
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