Verstappen, a comeback announced
As he often observes Max Verstappenthe weekend with the Sprint format takes away some emotion from the long race, given that both the professionals and the fans already have a very clear picture on Saturday about the possible progress of the Sunday race.
And from this perspective, seeing the ease with which the three-time Dutch world champion won yesterday’s Sprint, it is easy to predict a rapid comeback for Red Bull’s top driver from the sixth spot on the starting grid. Of course, Verstappen will have to be careful at the start and successfully complete several overtakings, but the pace shown on the track really seemed superior to his rivals.
Marko: “Watch out for Norris”
To the microphones of Sky Germany, Helmut Marko showed confidence about the progress of the race and the possible dangers that could stand between Max Verstappen and his 50th victory in Formula 1: “We saw Hamilton pushing really hard in the first sector and I think he overheated the tyres. Afterwards, Max was able to escape. He controlled, he was fast and at the same time gentle on the tyres. When Norris had clear air in front of him in the Sprint, he was very fast indeed. I see him as our main rival in Sunday’s match.”
Horner: “9 seconds in 19 laps…”
Red Bull team principal, Christian Horner, spoke about Verstappen’s Sprint victory: “The start is fundamental, but the great thing about this track is the overtaking opportunities. Max managed the Sprint well, wasn’t too aggressive on the tires and opened up a gap, which at the end of the race amounted to nine seconds.
If we consider just the 19 laps, we are talking about a great result. It was a great Saturday for us. We have some work to do on Sunday, as we will start from sixth position and there will be a lot to do.”
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