Max ready for Hungarian GP: 'I would've raced the next day if I had to.'
Published on 29 July 2021 by Stefan Meens
On the Thursday prior to this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix, the collision between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton at Silverstone is still the main topic discussed during F1’s media sessions with the drivers.
Max was asked if he has been able to get over the incident in the last two weeks. The Dutchman said: “Of course. I’ve done a 24 hour sim race so I’ve been busy. In terms of steering and braking it’s the same and the laptimes were still good.”
Did you pay attention to the media frenzy surrounding your crash? “Not really. I didn’t use my phone that much to read up on the news. I use it for contacting friends and to prepare for sim races.”
Lewis Hamilton did call you before this race weekend. Did you resolve any issues? “As drivers, you have to be able to talk about these things. It wasn’t awkward or anything. But it is what it is. We can’t turn back time. I have my opinion and he will have his. You don’t always have to agree because I don’t have to prove my right, nor does he.”
When did you know you were physically fit again? “I would’ve raced the next day if I had to. I’ll never let anyone else drive my car. Even if I’d secretly broken something, I wouldn’t admit it.”
It was a big crash though. “Yes, but it shows how safe the cars are. But you shouldn’t have a crash like this too often, too soon. It’s not good for your body, it all felt stiff.”
Max’ final thoughts on Silverstone and its aftermath were a tribute to his team: “The way Red Bull Racing responded and how the team dealt with things, really proved to me that I’m with the right team. They really have my back and I received a lot of phone calls and messages. That warmth that I feel within the team is not one you’d see at other teams I think.”
Looking ahead to this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix, your dad stood on the podium here in 1994, after finishing third. “Yeah, that was a great moment and we still sometimes talk about it. We sometimes travel to the Hungaroring to do some private driving with our own cars because it’s a beautiful track. In general, Hungary and especially Budapest are really nice. I always like coming here.”
What are the challenges the Hungaroring offers? “The second sector, the most twisty one. Everyone will use high downforce because the corners speed is more important than the straight. Because the corners succeed each other quickly, a small mistake can lead to problems in the next corner, so you can lose a lot of time.”
What is the goal? “We’ll go for the win, that’s the target. Hopefully we can continue the good results we’ve had so far.”
Contest Hungarian GP: win a signed Orange Driver Cap or 1:4 scale model helmet!
