Max Verstappen does not expect any problems for the RB20 during the Grand Prix weekend in Japan. The Dutchman was asked about the problems with his Red Bull Racing car during the race weekend in Australia, and reveals that the Austrian team already saw on Saturday that things could go wrong during the race. Verstappen expects that he can perform a lot better at Suzuka.
Verstappen had a rare retirement during the previous Grand Prix weekend in Melbourne, and therefore had to end his race on lap three. The Dutchman says that Red Bull had actually expected some problems prior to the race on Sunday. “We already saw some signs on Saturday that things did not look as they should have,” Verstappen said in the press conference prior to the Japanese Grand Prix.
However, the Dutch champion does not expect similar problems during the race weekend at the Suzuka circuit. “We’ll just move on and learn from it and hope it doesn’t happen again.” Verstappen says he is also very much looking forward to the Japanese race. ‘I think I like (being in Japan, ed.) even more at this time of year. Every year is different, but last year we had a difficult weekend in Singapore and if you look at Melbourne, we were fast there but didn’t finish the race. Our car loves the high-speed corners and hopefully we can show that again this weekend.’
Verstappen jokes about the future
Lately, the F1 rumor mill has been working overtime, and the turbulent times within Red Bull are often the topic of conversation. There are also rumors about Verstappen that he would consider a switch to Mercedes, but the Dutchman now responds to this jokingly. “It all depends on whether I want to ride next year or not,” the world champion jokes about his future. ‘No, no, I’m very happy with where I am now.’
Verstappen also immediately explains why he is happy with his current team, who are working hard to prepare the RB20 for the Japanese Grand Prix weekend. “We have a lot of people working on the car at the moment and it’s a whole team effort. Everyone’s ideas come together and that’s why we have the car we have today. Having someone like Adrian (Newey, ed.) is a huge incentive,” Verstappen briefly mentions the importance of Newey’s role. Furthermore, the Dutchman says he can get along with any car from the top designer. “I prefer the older cars because they’re more agile, but I’ll drive anything.”
Verstappen: ‘Will always remain a Honda fan’
Red Bull’s Japanese engine supplier, Honda, will also drop by during the press conference. Honda has been supplying engines to the Austrian racing team since 2019, and Verstappen immediately managed to win with the Honda engines during that season, during the Austrian Grand Prix. The Limburger now says that the first victory with Honda will always be special, after the difficult times they have had in the past: ‘I will always remain a big Honda fan.’
