Max Verstappen interviewed by ŚwiatWyścigów.pl
Max Verstappen is already delivering on the promise of being the F1’s next superstar. Although he won two races last year, his season was plagued with reliability problems that compromised his championship run. During the Barcelona winter testing, he talked with ŚwiatWyścigów.pl’s Roksana Ćwik about prospects for the 2018 season.
What did you learn from testing, considering the bad weather of the first week and the new surface?
It was too cold to really learn anything in the first week, so it was positive for us to do so many laps in the second part. It is very important to put mileage on the new car in order to understand it. The new tarmac and tyres made however, made the comparisons more tricky, as the car required a different setup compared to last year.
With that in mind, do you think the testing should have been moved to another country?
It would make understanding the car easier, but not every team agreed to it.
Renault has promised that the engine will now run at 100% everywhere. Will it allow you to fight with the Mercedes?
Nobody was running at full power during the testing, so it is really difficult to say. We really need to wait until the first few races to see how the engine will be behaving and if we are going to be able to compete with them. So far we are happy – the car is a big step forward compared to last year. Of course everybody improves, but I feel like we have made a bigger step and it was needed.
Staying on the engine side, do you think that your reliability problems are now a thing of the past?
Compared to last year, we now have a lot less problems. The car runs a lot smoother and the Renault has also improved their level of preparation and made a lot of dyno testing. But, we need to see what will happen over the Grand Prix weekends, where we will stress the material even more.
So, do you think that the engines will last the seven races that are required of them?
It will be on the limit. Looking back, I think we have used like six or seven engines in the last few years, so to cut that in half will be very difficult to achieve, but we will try, just like everybody else.
Red Bull’s contract with Renault expires at the end of this year. What do you make of the Honda engine as an alternative for the future?
We cannot really look that much into winter testing. Over the course of the season we will see how reliable it is and what will be happening on their side. But it is always good to have a few options to choose from.
You have signed a new multi-year deal with the team. How important is it to have this stability?
Even before I signed I was pretty calm, as I do not think I was in a position where they would kick me out. But it is always nice, as it demonstrates the trust on both sides of the agreement. Me and the team both enjoy our time together and it is also good for the guys in the factory that they have already something lined up for the future.
Knowing that Daniel Ricciardo has not yet signed his deal, do you picture yourself with another team mate in the future?
Ideally, I would like to have the same team mate, but it is up to him to decide what he does want to do in the future. We will see what is going to happen over the next few months, but I am mostly focused on what I have to do.
You did dome demo runs at Zandvoort. Would it be nice to have a home grand prix?
It would be good for the fans, that they could see me in action. I would also like to have a home race, but it is not something that I dream about.
Well, you can not really complain about the lack of support during the races…
Yes, the Dutch fans are really passionate and it is always good to see a lot of orange next to the track. I do not see any reason to act differently because of my popularity, as the fans really want to see the real person.
Finally, let’s talk about the new cars. Do you agree with the view that overtaking now requires more aggression from the drivers?
Well, even with more aggression it is not possible [to overtake]. It is really difficult to follow another car, as they are so wide and have a lot of downforce. On some tracks it will make things boring and qualifying will be the only place where you can make a difference. But this is the way that the sport has went with this regulations and we will see in the future if they are going to change that – it would be nice for the fans to see some more racing going on.
