Verstappen: After such a weekend we have to draw conclusions

After another victory and success in the Qatar Grand Prix, Max Verstappen achieved his 49th victory in Formula 1, the three-time world champion commented on the events of the past weekend, without hiding the fact that this time he had a harder time than usual.

Question: Max, the victory in the Qatar Grand Prix is ​​the first in the status of three-time world champion. It seems like you didn’t encounter any problems from start to finish. Is that true?
Max Verstappen: I think overall it was a good race. I think this was the first part of the distance that made my race. I think we overcame these with confidence and worked well with the tyres. After that we had a slightly different tactic than McLaren and I was able to stay on track longer on most sets. Although I may have lost something because of this at some points.

That made my lead a bit smaller at times, and even when I was on hard tires I think I also lost some time in the last two or three laps before the pit stop, but that was due to traffic. Moreover, the last pit stop was not the fastest, so the McLaren drivers were obviously very close.

They are generally very fast all weekend. It seemed that they continued to increase the pace as the fuel in the tanks dwindled. Once again our tactics were not ideal due to the three mandatory pit stops, as the RB19 works well with the tires. It would have been better for us if the stints had been longer, but everyone was on equal footing and everyone had to make those pit stops.

Moreover, this probably made it a little more difficult for us, because we had to attack with full force. As you could see, many riders were very tired after the finish.

Q: Can you tell us a little more about these restrictions, which limited each set to a maximum of 18 laps. How did this affect your tactics, and how much more difficult was it for you physically?
Max Verstappen: In this situation it was of course possible to go a little faster. Of course, it’s a shame that we had to resort to such restrictions, but we managed to avoid problems with the tires, which was of course the most important thing.

Q: What can you say about the asphalt surface on the Losail highway? This year it has been completely redesigned: did the grip improve as the race progressed?
Max Verstappen: I think it has improved a bit. Maybe it will be even better when we come here next year, but it all depends on how actively the track is used. But so far there is only one race route. I think next time the Formula 1 drivers shouldn’t be the first to drive on this circuit because it looks quite stupid.

During practice the cars were skidding, there was no grip and I believe that when the asphalt on the track is completely fresh, we need someone to drive on it in front of us. This would help a lot. It would also be easier to handle the tires as it meant we had to limit the number of laps on one set. Overall, I think we have to draw some conclusions after this weekend.

Q: Logan Sargent withdrew from the race because he wasn’t feeling well. It seemed like it was getting harder and harder for the riders closer to the finish. Do you think that when Formula 1 races are held in such conditions, it might go beyond reasonable limits?
Max Verstappen: Yes, even before I went here I looked at the weather forecast, so I was looking forward to this weekend without much enthusiasm. It’s just too hot here, and I agree with Lando Norris: it’s not like we need to train harder.

I think the guys who had problems today are exceptionally fit, maybe even fitter than me, but it’s like sitting in a sauna all day. Moreover, towards the evening the humidity also increased.

Such races last quite a long time, but Qatar is not the only place like this. The race in Singapore also lasts almost two hours and it is also very hot there. I think this is all on the borderline of what is acceptable. There’s a lot to think about here. But today it was definitely too hot.

Q: Worse than Singapore?
Max Verstappen: Pilot? Yes, the heat made the cockpit uncomfortable, and that’s not a good thing.

Question: Do you consider the McLaren drivers as your main rivals?
Max Verstappen: I think this team is now performing more consistently than the others. And I also think McLaren has the strongest team and the team works very effectively. Overall, the end of the season promises to be interesting, and it will also be interesting to see how the balance of power will be early next year.

Question: Oscar Piastri said that because of the limited number of laps on one set of tires and the three mandatory pit stops, it felt like he was doing all 57 laps at qualifying pace. Do you think so too?
Max Verstappen: I think these restrictions put us at a disadvantage because we usually ride for longer periods while trying to protect the tires. Today was different, of course, because the segments were shorter.

At one point my engineer said we need to speed up a bit, but we always have a certain reserve of speed. I need to rewatch the race to better understand what was happening behind me. I think if we could have, we could have gone even faster, but I certainly don’t want to belittle McLaren’s performance.

They have done a great job, we see that they are gradually overtaking us, so of course we have to try to maintain this lead.

Q: It’s probably too early to ask you about this, but still: You’ve already won three titles, but have you thought about your future legacy? About what remains after you? For example, Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton respond to social problems, and Fernando Alonso shares his experiences with young people through his karting project…
Max Verstappen: I have big plans regarding both racing and the desire to help young talents. We have all, at least the majority, done karting at some point, but now it has also become a very expensive pleasure.

That’s why I have my own eSports team and believe that virtual racing offers great opportunities. I see some guys who show impressive potential and who can also do well in real racing.

Hopefully in a few years I can help some virtual racing artists get behind the wheel of real cars. This does not mean that they will be able to reach Formula 1, but that they will at least be able to compete in the endurance races. Now I am very interested in this and let’s hope that soon I can implement my project.