After two retirements in the space of three races, Max Verstappen is revising his ambitions downwards. The reigning world champion doubts his team’s ability to keep his title. Here’s what we know.
Inasmuch as 2021 world champion, Max Verstappen tries this season to retain its title for a second consecutive year. But after 3 races, the Dutchman counts two retirements due to technical problems and 46 points behind Charles Leclerc. In short, the native of Hasselt won the only race he finished in Saudi Arabia.
If one can think that the Red Bull can compete with Ferrari in terms of performance, the Australian Grand Prix demonstrated otherwise. The Scuderia achieved the grand slam (pole position, fastest lap and end-to-end victory) with the help of the Monegasque. Behind, Max Verstappen was never able to threaten him by conceding on average half a second per lap, before seeing his engine let go on the 39th of the 58 laps:
“I didn’t really have the pace, and I just managed my tires to try to go all the way because it looked like an easy second place anyway. And I knew I couldn’t fight Charles. So there was no point in trying to pressure him. But yeah, we didn’t even finish the race. It’s quite frustrating and unacceptable.
I knew there was a problem. So there was always a question mark to finish the race. That kind of stuff, if you want to fight for the title, it can’t happen. »
Compared to the start of last season, the situation is catastrophic. Under these conditions, it is impossible for him, if only to imagine defending his title, as he explained on the microphone of Sky Sports after the race, qualifying the unacceptable situation :
« I do not even think about it [le championnat]. For the moment, there is no reason to believe it. Being so far in the championship, I think it’s 46 points, from now on we have to be in front. We need to be faster, and we are not currently. We also have to be reliable, and neither are we. In short, we have our work cut out for us.
So I don’t even want to think about the championship fight right now, I think it’s more important to finish the races. Because today, overall, was still a bad day. »
Max Verstappen is therefore forced to be realistic. the balance sheet, as it stands, would not allow him to fight for the championship. As a reminder, it is only 6th overall. But if the pilot is very defeatist afterwards, Christian Horner -General Manager of the Red Bull team- seems to be much more positive. Given the calendar-record of 23 races this year, according to him, the Austrian clan has largely time to catch upwith more than 500 points to win:
“We barely made 10% of the championship. So I think there is still a very long way to go. What is encouraging is that we have the basis for a fast car.
He was obviously frustrated when he got out of the car, but he knows we’re all in this together, as a team. We will bounce back. I’m sure he will come back strong at Imola”.
Photo : Icon Sport
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After two retirements in the space of three races, Max Verstappen is revising his ambitions downwards. The reigning world champion doubts his team’s ability to keep his title. Here’s what we know.
Inasmuch as 2021 world champion, Max Verstappen tries this season to retain its title for a second consecutive year. But after 3 races, the Dutchman counts two retirements due to technical problems and 46 points behind Charles Leclerc. In short, the native of Hasselt won the only race he finished in Saudi Arabia.
If one can think that the Red Bull can compete with Ferrari in terms of performance, the Australian Grand Prix demonstrated otherwise. The Scuderia achieved the grand slam (pole position, fastest lap and end-to-end victory) with the help of the Monegasque. Behind, Max Verstappen was never able to threaten him by conceding on average half a second per lap, before seeing his engine let go on the 39th of the 58 laps:
“I didn’t really have the pace, and I just managed my tires to try to go all the way because it looked like an easy second place anyway. And I knew I couldn’t fight Charles. So there was no point in trying to pressure him. But yeah, we didn’t even finish the race. It’s quite frustrating and unacceptable.
I knew there was a problem. So there was always a question mark to finish the race. That kind of stuff, if you want to fight for the title, it can’t happen. »
Compared to the start of last season, the situation is catastrophic. Under these conditions, it is impossible for him, if only to imagine defending his title, as he explained on the microphone of Sky Sports after the race, qualifying the unacceptable situation :
« I do not even think about it [le championnat]. For the moment, there is no reason to believe it. Being so far in the championship, I think it’s 46 points, from now on we have to be in front. We need to be faster, and we are not currently. We also have to be reliable, and neither are we. In short, we have our work cut out for us.
So I don’t even want to think about the championship fight right now, I think it’s more important to finish the races. Because today, overall, was still a bad day. »
Max Verstappen is therefore forced to be realistic. the balance sheet, as it stands, would not allow him to fight for the championship. As a reminder, it is only 6th overall. But if the pilot is very defeatist afterwards, Christian Horner -General Manager of the Red Bull team- seems to be much more positive. Given the calendar-record of 23 races this year, according to him, the Austrian clan has largely time to catch upwith more than 500 points to win:
“We barely made 10% of the championship. So I think there is still a very long way to go. What is encouraging is that we have the basis for a fast car.
He was obviously frustrated when he got out of the car, but he knows we’re all in this together, as a team. We will bounce back. I’m sure he will come back strong at Imola”.
Photo : Icon Sport
To read on auto-moto.com:
Moto GP: Quartararo soon in other colors?
Fort GT Holman Moody Heritage: explosive tribute
Karting: A Russian driver gives a Nazi salute on the podium
