GP China, Verstappen: “Track racing, the team worked hard”

Only one session for set-up

There are two tracks within the F1 calendar on which Max Verstappen never won: China and Singapore. When the last edition of the GP was held on the Shanghai circuit in 2019, Verstappen had only five victories under his belt in F1. This weekend the Red Bull driver will show up in China with 3 world titles under his belt, the victories have now become 57.

“China will give us a good challenge, especially given that it is a Sprint weekend – the words of Verstappen – given that we haven't raced at this circuit since 2019, with only one free practice session available it will be a matter of making sure we have set the car up as best as possible in terms of set-up in terms of tire management. This dynamic creates more uncertainty, which is good for fans, and the team has worked hard to prepare. China is a great circuit and has a unique layout, with tricky corners and long straights offering plenty of overtaking opportunities. I have always enjoyed driving on this circuitso we can't wait to see what this weekend has in store for us.”

Sergio Perez he in turn presented the weekend now upon us in this way: “I've never driven a Red Bull on this circuit, so it will be challenging. It's a challenging circuit, but I think with the RB20 we have shown that we have a car capable of competing on most circuits. Japan showed me how confident I feel with this car and the performance I can get from it, in circumstances where I struggled last season. This week I returned to Milton Keynes and have been working hard with my team to prepare for the next few weeks of racing. Preparation is very important when tackling a Sprint weekend, because the time available for testing in the car is very limited. The new format will be difficult for everyone to manage, but we are all in the same position.”