Max Verstappen can break several records early in the season, but he is not concerned with that at all. The three-time world champion feels comfortable in the car and enjoys it, and that is enough for him. He thinks it’s fantastic that he can win for the tenth time in a row, but achieving good results and winning the title is more important to him.
Verstappen got off to a good start to the 2024 season after winning both the Bahrain Grand Prix and the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. In Jeddah he took his hundredth podium, of which there are no fewer than 56 victories. In Melbourne he can take his own record of ten consecutive victories. Those statistics are nice, but the Dutchman has often indicated that he is not concerned with that. “I don’t look at it that way,” says the three-time world champion, quoted by Motorsport.com. “As a driver you must of course always believe that you are the best, but on the other hand, I am not constantly concerned about having to think that way,” the 26-year-old continues.
‘I feel good in the car and just enjoy it. That’s enough for me. I always do my best and try to get the most out of it. If you have a good car, you can achieve fantastic things.’ Such as the tenth consecutive victory. Last year, Verstappen broke the record of four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel, who had nine consecutive victories. So he could break his own record in Japan. Verstappen has won nineteen of the past twenty races. “That’s crazy, of course, but I don’t think about it much.”
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‘I always look at it every weekend’
While everyone on social media channels is busy recording statistics and comparing Verstappen with the greats of the sport, he is not concerned about whether he equals and passes Vettel or Michael Schumacher. “I always look at it every weekend,” says the Red Bull Racing driver. ‘It is of course fantastic that we get the chance to win ten in a row again, but I think it is more important that we always score points and win the title, that is what you aim for every year.’
In any case, the goal in Melbourne is to win the race. “That depends on a number of small details,” says the Dutchman. ‘We have to make sure we get the balance right and that we understand the tires properly. The compounds are softer than last year’s. If we have all that sorted out, we should have a good car for the race,” said Verstappen. The first session starts very early on Friday, at 2:30 am Dutch time.
