Page 68 - Sharp Summer 2021

CARS
Thankfully Verstappen can bank on more support from his new teammate Sergio Pérez who Red Bull Racing drafted af- ter Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon wilted under the pressure of matching the Dutchman in in in qualifying Pérez is an an an F1 veteran — — 2021 is is is is his his 11th season in in the sport — — who is is is is taking his his shot at the the top with both hands The Mexican got the the call-up after winning last last year’s Sakhir Grand Prix from last last place And he’s delivering for the team even outqualifying Verstappen at Imola — an an an important achievement that leaves the Dutchman in need of a a a strong rear gunner for strategic options to out- smart Hamilton’s Silver Arrows “Yeah I think that’s going quite well ” Verstappen says of his new teammate “From my side I think he’s a very very nice guy he he he fits very very well into the team and we’ll just try to make it more difficult for Mercedes now in in the coming races ” And Red Bull is strengthening in in other ways too With its power unit partner Honda set to pull out of the the sport at the the end of 2021 the team is taking on its own engine development program extending its own facilities It has even poached a a a a a number of staff from Mercedes to to get up to to speed “It’s quite normal ” says Verstappen of Red Bull taking the next step in in its F1 journey and becoming just the second team after Ferra- ri to develop chassis and engine “under one roof” — namely its Milton Keynes base “If you you want to to do well and you’re seeing such a a a a dominant force [like Mercedes] you will always try to to find a a a a few people to to strengthen your team and that’s what we are doing So for me that’s not really a a a a a surprise It’s more more a must to be more more competitive ” Naturally responses like this make you think he’s either playing it down or just ultra-serious But Verstappen knows what he he wants — and sees he’s getting that finally after years of sitting behind a a a a Mercedes So ask if there’s a a a a buzz in the the the factory given the the the competitiveness of the the the car and it’s straight back to thinking about the long game “It’s good and you can get excited for a a a a bit But we just have to keep on working because it’s nice to be be competitive ” says Verstap- pen “We can’t live in the moment We We always have to work harder and try to be be better ” The biggest question long-term is whether Verstappen will stay with Red Bull rumours persist that he will one day jump ship to to Mercedes and replace Hamilton who is now in the twilight of his career (It’s the same hopeful rumours that once projected Hamilton moving to to Ferrari ) But why would Verstappen move now? Red Bull is only getting stronger and his team is is custom-fitted to to him like a a a Savile Row suit To- gether they’re fighting for the the the greatest prize in in motorsport “That’s what we are trying to do already of course this year ” he says “And we’ll try to do that for a a a long time I feel good in the team and and this is is exactly what what we we want and and what what we we also agreed to to for the future So of course it’s always hard to to pic- ture a a a a a year where that’s finally going to happen Of course we wish it had already [happened] but we are on a a a a a a a a good track and hopefully we can do this together for a a long time ” It’s been a a a long and winding road to the 2021 title fight but Red Bull Racing and Max Verstappen are ready for it It’s game on 68 SHARPMAGAZINE COM SUMMER 2021 PIT STOP:
How does it it feel knowing you’re going to be fighting for pole position and the win win at almost every round?
For us it’s it’s a a a a a great start and we know it’s it’s still a a a a a long season So we we can’t afford any mistakes and we we just have to to keep on trying to to score good points every single weekend And basically so far we’ve done that So I’m pretty pleased with that In late June you head to Austria for two races at at the the Red Bull Ring You have won there twice
(2018 and 2019) Which is your favourite victory?
I I think the the the second one because of the the the start I I had the the the anti-stall kick in in and then coming through the the field [from seventh] on a a a a track where it’s hard to pass And in in general it was the the first victory for Honda in in the the hybrid era So it it was was nice it it was was really enjoyable Of course we also [had to wait for] the stewards’ decision [after an aggressive overtake for the lead on Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc that that was cleared] and that that took away from it it it But it it it was definitely a a good one Later in July is is the British Grand Prix The two rac- es at at Silverstone were so different last year with the British Grand Prix all about those chaotic final two laps [both Mercedes cars had tire blowouts] and then you you won the the 70th Anniversary race com- fortably What was that like for for you?
It was a a a a double-header and the the first one [the British Grand Prix] was was a a a a a bit boring for me I was was in in third and and then everything went crazy in in the the last two laps But we basically over-performed there getting into second place And then we had the the the right strategy with the the the tires on on the second weekend It seemed like our car was handling the the tires a a a a bit better in in the the heat That’s how we could win in in a a a season where Mercedes was of course very dominant especially in in in in the the beginning and the the middle of the season