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Max Verstappen hopes to have a better weekend at the upcoming F1 Imola GP after a glitched start to his 2022 campaign. The Dutchman revealed that the team is working hard on the car and their package both at the factory and trackside to ensure a trouble-free race weekend.
Speaking in a team preview, Verstappen said:
“I’m looking forward to racing again this weekend in Imola, this is obviously the first sprint race of the year so it’s important to make the most of the first practice session, so we have a good understanding of where the set up needs to be for qualifying on Friday.”
The Dutchman had a fuel leak that caused him to retire from the Australian GP after running in second for the majority of the race. Looking ahead positively, Max Verstappen asserted the importance of building up the performance curve from the practice session of the Imola GP itself.
Explaining the efforts going in behind the scenes, the reigning champion said:
“The team trackside and back at the factory in Milton Keynes are working incredibly hard, hopefully we’ll have a straightforward weekend and that we score some good points as a Team. For now, we’ll take it race by race and we’ll see where we end up.”
Red Bull reveal that their 2022 car does not suit Max Verstappen
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko explained that Max Verstappen was struggling with his car compared to Sergio Perez, whose driving style suited the new car better. The Austrian explained that this is the case with all drivers where many have to adjust their driving style to the cars with lesser downforce.
Speaking to F1 Insider after the Australian weekend, Marko said:
“He hasn’t found the right balance yet and, therefore, doesn’t have the fullest confidence in the car. His aggressive driving style doesn’t quite go together with the new cars. [Sergio] Perez is much closer to Max [Verstappen] than was the case in 2021. The simplest explanation for this is the new cars with less downforce suit some drivers better and others less.”
The Red Bull champion currently trails championship leader Charles Leclerc by 46 points in the drivers’ standings, where he is placed sixth. The Dutch champion’s performance at the Imola GP weekend, however, will be vital in turning around his fortunes from the first three races.
