Verstappen: Gravel in the departure zones forces you to be precise

On the eve of the Austrian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen spoke about how difficult it is at the Red Bull Ring to respect track limits, and expressed the hope that now that gravel departure zones have been organized in the last two corners of the circuit, everyone will be forced to act more carefully and drive more accurately.

Max Verstappen: “Everything is fine with us, because the weather in Spielberg is pleasant and Austria has very good cuisine. Moreover, this is our home Grand Prix, and the program includes a sprint, which complicates the task for everyone, because it will be more difficult to find the right approach to all aspects of the work.

However, this is normal. To achieve the best possible results, we must overcome challenges of a slightly different kind. As competition increases, we naturally do everything we can to perform even better.

We will try to act this way, both here and in the rest of the coming races. Of course, it is extremely important to understand at what level we are. In general, driving on the Austrian circuit is very interesting, especially in high-speed corners, and it really gives me pleasure.

But on this route, with its configuration, one must constantly discuss the problem associated with respecting its limits. This is partly due to the fact that as the lap progresses the tires overheat, including the front ones, and this naturally leads to understeer, pushing the car towards the outer edge of the track.

Sometimes this can start at the entry of the corner, and then you find yourself a few millimeters off the track at the exit, and you are penalized for this.

I hope that now that the track has gravel departure zones, this will be a little less, because everyone will obviously have to act more carefully and drive more precisely. Let’s see to what extent this decision turns out to be correct, because now no one has a clear idea of ​​​​what exactly should be done. For example, the Red Bull Ring also hosts MotoGP races and stages of other series, so it is still quite difficult to offer a universal solution that best suits everyone.”

Of course, Max was asked about other topics, in particular his plans for next season, as rumors of Mercedes’ strong interest in him continue.

“I think I said this before,” the three-time world champion replied. “It is quite normal that people discuss these issues, but for us the most important thing is that our car will be the most competitive in the future.

Of course, results are currently very tight, but our team is working together to achieve improvements. Together with the team, we pay a lot of attention to preparing for next year. I think that gives a pretty clear picture of what kind of car I’ll be driving in 2025. I am happy with everything I do with Red Bull Racing…”