Max Verstappen reveals how he is adapting his driving style to suit the 2022 cars

Max Verstappen has revealed how he plans to adapt his driving style for the 2022 cars. After trying the initial prototypes in Red Bull’s simulator, Verstappen feels that the new cars are significantly different from the outgoing generation of cars.

In an interview with team sponsor CarNext, the Dutchman said:

“The tires will look completely different with 18-inch (rims); different reaction from the tires as well, I have to adapt my driving to it.”

“It feels a little bit sharper, the reaction of the tires and just the general traction you have out of corners feels a bit different. So, I’m interested to see how it's going to feel in real life.”

“Everyone always says, ‘What is your driving style like?’ Well, I don’t think I actually have one, it’s just you adapt to the situation. That is your driving style because, if the car is understeer-y, you have to adapt yourself to the understeer. If the car is oversteer-y, you have to adapt yourself to that. So, you cannot say ‘this is my driving style and that’s how I’m going to drive.’”

“It’s impossible because, sometimes, it just doesn't work with the material you have. I think adaptation at the end of the day is key.”

Max Verstappen will return to F1 in 2022 sporting #1 on his Red Bull to try and defend his F1 title. The young Dutchman, however, may face stiffer competition from rival Lewis Hamilton targeting a record-breaking eighth world championship.

Meanwhile, a potential resurgence of midfield teams McLaren, Ferrari, and even Aston Martin, could jeopardize both Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton's title hopes.

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Max Verstappen hopes 2022 cars easier to follow as promised

For years, F1 has been criticized for going in the wrong direction and creating “qualifying cars” that were unable to follow each other closely in “dirty air”. To tackle the issue, the 2022 season will feature brand new cars that are the result of sweeping technical regulations aimed at improving wheel-to-wheel racing.

The defending world champion Max Verstappen hopes the work F1’s technical department put into developing the new regulations pays off.

Despite his fondness for the current generation “downforce behemoths”, Max Verstappen says that he would like the new cars to be able to follow each other closely. In an interview with team sponsor CarNext, the Red Bull driver said:

“I like the current cars in terms of speed because it’s really impressive how much grip you have. So, the new cars definitely will be a few seconds slower.”

“But that is with the idea of having better racing, that you can follow a bit closer, that’s what they want. Because, at the moment, when you get close you have a lot of disturbance from the car in front.”

“I do hope that is going to happen.”

While the new regulations are aimed at improving the racing “spectacle” over time, many have expressed concerns that the new regulations might hurt racing in the short term.

The thin performance margins between teams across the grid led to the 2021 season being one of the most closely fought championships in F1 history, but the new regulations could potentially spread the field apart once again.