Max Verstappen prepares for a tougher « weekend » in Monaco
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen has admitted that the Monaco Grand Prix is likely to be "one of the toughest weekends" for him and his team in 2024, as they seek to fend off a growing threat from McLaren and Ferrari.
Max Verstappen started the season with four wins in the first five races, as he aims for a fourth consecutive world title. Meanwhile, Red Bull is trying to secure a third constructors’ championship.
The recent improvements by McLaren allowed Lando Norris to beat the Dutchman in Miami thanks to a safety car in the middle of the race, and then to push the Dutchman to the end in Imola, finishing just seven tenths of a second in second place.
During the press conference, Verstappen stated: “I think that looking at the layout of the track, this probably won’t be our best circuit, just because our car usually struggles a bit with bumps and curbs. We have worked on it a bit compared to last year. I think that so far, on most of the circuits we have visited, our performance in low speed corners has improved a bit, but I don’t think it will be a very easy weekend.”
« But I think Monaco is never very simple, even when you are supposed to have the best car. Monaco is a very tricky track to get it all working, to get the tires working during a qualifying lap, for example, red flags, there are always a lot of disruptions.
« Many things can go well, but also many things can go wrong. We just have to rise to the occasion. Of course, Imola started very badly and we managed to turn the situation around. I wouldn’t want to have a weekend like that again, it’s quite stressful and not pleasant.
McLaren and Ferrari are putting pressure on Red Bull.
In the midst of the good form of McLaren and Ferrari, Verstappen, poleman at every Grand Prix this year, expects a fierce battle to maintain this record. He underscored the importance for Red Bull to have a perfect weekend. “I mean, naturally, from the outside, I think it’s one of the most difficult circuits for us,” he continued.
Moreover, in recent years, Ferrari has always been very, very strong here and McLaren, recently, in the last two races, has really gained in performance. I think that after Miami, it was quite clear that arriving at Imola the gap [between teams] had narrowed a bit, even though Imola was probably not our easiest weekend either.
« It will now depend on who will bring more performance to the car, will find the best possible setting. On our side, it is of course very important to try to be at our best level, at 100%.
Verstappen goes to Monaco with a lead of 48 points over his teammate Sergio Perez in the drivers’ standings, while Red Bull has a 56-point lead over its closest rivals, Ferrari, in the constructors’ standings.
