Max reflects on Friday at Barcelona: 'We're getting closer'

Published on 08 May 2021 by Stefan Meens

After the two Friday practice sessions of the Spanish Grand Prix, Ziggo Sport’s Olaf Mol caught up with Max Verstappen to discuss the day’s action.

Is Barcelona a good track to notice how much stronger the Honda is? “We know the engine is beter, but so do the other teams. We’re not yet where we want to be as we’re still a bit behind Mercedes. They know that too, but I think we got closer.”

At turns seven and eight, race control installed the so-called ‘sausage’ kerbs. You hit them twice, resulting in a bit of damage. Does that mean the kerbs are higher? “Yes, but personally I don’t understand why they installed them. We’ve never had track limit issues at these corners. It’s the same for everyone, but now you’re pointlessly damaging your wing. Of course you can say I just shouldn’t hit them, and I totally understand. But because we run the car so high at the rear, it’s easier to hit one of those sausages at the front. But it is what it is and we’ll just have to get as close to them as we can without hitting them.”

Turn ten has been changed, what are your thoughts? “To drive it’s an improvement because it’s more fun to go faster in a corner. It’s a bit rounder. Before, the hairpin was really tight and not much fun in an F1 car because the traction is so bad in that corner. But overtakes will be more difficult because you can’t out-brake someone when you brake that late for a corner.”

On one of your flying laps, you had oversteer in the second part of FP2. “Yes, I tried to catch it but I then understeered wide and knew the lap was gone.”

You did not really complete a free run today. “On the mediums things are well, but on the softs it’s not optimal yet, neither is the balance. On top of that, I made a mistake myself. It’s nothing shocking and I think the day went without issues.”

What is the target, pole position? Or is it good enough to qualify in the top three. “If you want to win here, you need to be on the front row.

Contest GP Spain: win a by Max signed Red Bull Racing driver cap