Max Verstappen is not convinced by the new format for the Monaco GP. The crown jewel – which has increasingly become a procession in recent years – was not particularly exciting, even with two mandatory pit stops. The Dutchman crossed the finish line in fourth place after seventy-eight laps; neither gaining nor losing positions from his starting position. Monaco remains a challenging circuit for Red Bull, he explained.
“It was very exciting,” a sarcastic Verstappen grinned to the media in Monaco. “I was on the edge of my seat every lap. It was fantastic, really.” The Red Bull driver led the race for a long time, but knew he had to make a pit stop in the final laps and thus had to tolerate the actual top three ahead of him. “We had nothing to lose,” he explained. “The gap behind the leaders was big enough. Of course, we could have made a pit stop, but then you’re kind of driving alone.”
Red Bull gambled on a late red flag, where Verstappen could make his second pit stop ‘for free’. “We were just hoping that something would happen and we would get lucky,” he confirmed. “That’s why I wasn’t very tense – call it neutral.” Verstappen emphasized once again that the new pit stop rules in Monaco did not have the desired effect. “Shall we make four pit stops mandatory next year?” he sarcastically suggested. “For us, it really did nothing.”
‘Slower than last year’
Regarding his RB21, Verstappen admitted that he could not compete with Charles Leclerc and the two McLaren drivers. “The car has not necessarily improved,” he said dryly. “In qualifying, we were even slower than last year. Especially compared to the top three – we just don’t have that speed. Every time I tried to keep up with them, my tires got too hot.”
Regarding the world championship, in which Max Verstappen lost ground in Monaco compared to both McLaren drivers, the Dutchman feels little pressure. “I’m not too concerned about it,” he explained. “There will always be circuits that suit us better than others. Monaco is clearly not one of them. We’ve always struggled here in recent years.” Looking ahead to the upcoming race in Barcelona, Verstappen is cautiously optimistic. “Our car should perform slightly better there,” he concluded. “Of course, everyone hopes that the new rules for the rear wings will have a significant impact, but honestly, I don’t think much will change.”
