Max Verstappen does not yet feel well prepared for the main race of the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix. The Dutchman managed to pull off a magical pole lap on Saturday, but says that the problematic preparations during the free practice sessions could make the race itself very difficult. Verstappen expects competition, especially from McLaren.
Verstappen provided the surprise of the Grand Prix weekend in Emilia-Romagna on Saturday by taking pole position. Until the qualifying session, there were problems with the balance of the RB20 and it was unclear whether Verstappen would be able to qualify at the front of the field. Although the Dutchman showed friend and foe that it is better not to underestimate him, the three-time world champion still has some doubts about his chances during the main race.
“Not at all,” Verstappen answers when asked by the Dutch branch of Motorsport.com to what extent he feels well prepared for the race. ‘On Friday it went terribly during both the short runs and the long runs. On Saturday morning we wanted to do a long run, but in the end we only did about three laps, which didn’t feel good either. But if the balance is not good during the short run, you can expect that it will not be good during the long runs either.’
Verstappen warns against McLaren
Yet Verstappen still sees a small light at the end of the tunnel. “Given how the balance was in qualifying, I expect it will be a little better (in the race, ed.),” said the three-time world champion. ‘But I have no idea where we stand compared to McLaren. Their long runs on Friday looked very good. Hopefully we can show something similar.’
Because Red Bull’s preparations did not go smoothly during the three free practice sessions, Verstappen expects that he will have to fight hard for a victory during the race. ‘We have been chasing the facts all weekend. We managed to finish at the top of qualifying. But that’s the qualification. The race could be another story. “I’d rather be a little better prepared and have a little more information before a race, but we’ll see what happens.”
