Max Verstappen showed the best time in qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix and will start from pole position in Suzuka for the third time in a row. At the press conference, the current world champion summarized the results of the session and shared his thoughts on Red Bull Racing’s prospects in the race.
Question: Fantastic pole position, Max! Can you tell us how good your laps were in the final?
Max Verstappen: It’s great to ride in Suzuka when fuel is low, the balance is more or less as expected, and you can attack with full force. So it was very pleasant to pilot. Cars drive better every year, especially at high speeds. Today was really great.
Q: As the lap progressed in the last attempt, you rode with improvement, but gradually lost momentum and didn’t gain as much as expected. Was it because George Russell got in your way at Turn 130R?
Max Verstappen: Actually, I started losing time from the age of thirteen. The tires are very sensitive on this track, and if you overdo the attack in the first sector, the tires will no longer be sufficient at the end of the lap – this is what happened on my last lap. In the last chicane the front tires had already lost their effectiveness and I could no longer drive along the curb if necessary.
Let’s just say the circle wasn’t perfect, but it was enough. I always want to do perfect laps, but that doesn’t always work out. Fortunately, this was enough for pole position today.
Q: On Friday you said the fighting this weekend is expected to be fiercer than normal. Are you still looking forward to confronting your rivals during the race?
Max Verstappen: Yes, because this weekend I was not happy with the pace over a long series of laps. Our race pace is not what I would like. Therefore, before the race, questions remain about the long-distance pace of the competitors, especially for Ferrari – they seemed very confident.
They may not have been that fast in one lap today, but they are certainly fast in the long run. So let’s see how events develop in the race.
Q: How have the new products changed the car compared to the three previous phases?
Max Verstappen: It is always difficult to compare when there is no possibility to test the new and previous versions of the body kit on the same track. Of course, new products must be a step forward. We continue to work, trying to better understand the features of new products and better optimize them.
Q: Did you discuss Fernando Alonso’s tactics in Melbourne when he battled George Russell at the driver briefing?
Max Verstappen: We had a short briefing. Everything went well. I think everyone was a little tired. Yes, everyone is fed up! (laughs)
Source: F1 News

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