It is becoming a more political than technical match between Honda and Red Bull: the Japanese are pushing for an engine replacement and Helmut Marko, in the latest statements, seemed more possible for Abu Dhabi (really strange …), while Max Verstappen does not seem convinced that a change of unity could greatly change the forces in the field.
The Dutchman has quite clear ideas on the matter: Max is aware that in Jeddah his rival, Lewis Hamilton, can dispose of the super-engine that Mercedes had fitted to him in Brazil and which allowed him that prodigious comeback from last position in Sprint Qualifying until victory in the race, but that was not used in Losail.
“Well, we don’t have that peak of power with a new engine like the Mercedes – said Verstappen -, our engine doesn’t actually lose too many horsepower during its life, so the advantage of adopting a new one is not as great as for the Mercedes “.
Max, therefore, is not at all convinced that a new unit is needed to finish the season except for reasons related to reliability …
“For my part, there are not many doubts about it. I know what I have in terms of engines and under normal conditions we should be able to cope with what we have in the car ”.
In short, the Dutchman does not push for the penalty of five positions on the grid for having a fresh engine and seems more in line with the wishes of the team principal, Christian Horner.
Verstappen can claim an eight-point lead over Hamilton with two races to go, but his rival comes after victories in Brazil and Qatar. The world leader is confident that the Jeddah circuit can offer some surprises:
“We’ll see how it goes this weekend, but I always struggle to predict exactly what the situation will be like. It’s a challenge that is also played out in the details, but more things can happen on a street circuit than on a normal track. It is obvious that I will try to win the race, but the most important thing is obviously that I am still leading the world championship after Abu Dhabi ”.
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
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