Ralf Schumacher explains how home-track pressure will affect Max Verstappen at the Dutch GP
At Zandvoort, Max Verstappen aims to secure his ninth consecutive win to match Sebastian Vettel's record.
Ralf Schumacher (Via IMAGO) and Max Verstappen (Via IMAGO)
Red Bull achieved an unprecedented Formula One milestone with victories in the 12 Grands Prix this season. Two-time F1 world champion Max Verstappen leads the dominant run. He scored his eighth straight win at the Belgian Grand Prix before the summer break, marking a triumphant hat-trick at Spa-Francorchamps.
As the second half of the season starts to unfold at the Dutch GP, former German Formula One racing driver Ralf Schumacher believes that Max Verstappen is a favorite in Zandvoort. He claimed that the weight of performing at his home race and the necessity to win didn’t seem to faze the defending champion.
“Max is a favorite in Zandvoort. But the pressure of the home race and the must-win seems to bounce off him. Max has built up self-confidence. I see a Max Verstappen who is very relaxed and is really looking forward to Zandvoort. Certainly, the whole thing around it is distracting in a home race, but Verstappen can apparently handle it quite well,” Ralf Schumacher told Speedweek.
Max Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Pérez‘s second-place finish at Spa resulted in their first 1-2 success in seven races. With the record win, the Dutchman currently stands as the leading driver with an impressive 314 points. The gap between him and the second-place finisher in the last two races, being over 30 seconds, is a testament to the driver’s race craft.
Max Verstappen aims to make history at Zandvoort
Verstappen is starting the race with the prime objective of securing a ninth straight win and matching Sebastian Vettel‘s record from the 2023 season with Red Bull. This season, he already has ten victories.
The No:1 car driver acknowledges challenges with the track and weather, saying it’s crucial to perform well all weekend despite having a fast car. The car’s reliability seems to be the only thing that could stop Verstappen from winning this year.
“(With) the track, and the weather that is forecast, I think it’s always a bit more tricky. We’ll see. We have a quick car, but it’s again about putting everything together to have a really strong weekend,” Verstappen said about the weather and upcoming race.
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Justin P Joy
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