Max Verstappen has just clinched his fourth consecutive victory at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, but the race in Monaco is already on the horizon. The upgrades to the unpredictable RB21 seemed to perform well in Imola, but will they also bring improvements in the low-speed corners of the principality? Verstappen has his doubts.
Max Verstappen led the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix almost from start to finish. Only during the first few meters, before the field reached the Tamburello chicane, was the lead still in the hands of Oscar Piastri. This is a stark contrast to the Grands Prix of Bahrain and Miami, when the Dutchman struggled with his RB21. The upgrades brought to Italy seem to be working well, but does this mean Red Bull is now faster than McLaren?
“I think it’s very specific to each circuit,” Verstappen explains in the press conference about the speed difference with the closest competitor. “Every time we were really competitive, it was on high-speed tracks, high-speed corners.” So, there’s work to be done for Red Bull, although according to Verstappen, the upgrades brought to Imola are performing well so far.
Monaco
However, being a world champion does not guarantee that the RB21 will perform well at the next stop on the Formula 1 calendar: Monaco. “Monaco is, of course, very different (from Imola). So let’s see how we perform there. Last year was very difficult for us. I don’t expect it to be any easier this time, as there is a lot of low speed, but we’ll see.” A year ago, Max Verstappen finished sixth in the city-state after a disappointing qualification.
“I enjoy driving in Monaco, but it’s not our strongest circuit with the car we have,” continues the Red Bull driver. “But we’ll see what we can do.” The Dutchman doesn’t stop there with his preview, and even looks ahead to the third race of the triple header in Barcelona. “Barcelona usually means a lot of fast turns, which is great. There’s also a lot of tire wear, and it’s crucial to get that under control. I don’t know how that’s going to work for us at the moment. But for now, I’m just very happy with the weekend in Imola and we’ll go from there.”
