Red Bull Racing arrives at the Monaco Grand Prix of Formula 1 with renewed confidence, following the progress made in recent races. Max Verstappen believes the team is closer to the desired performance level and sees the qualifying session as a decisive factor to achieve a good result on the streets of the Principality.
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The Dutchman’s optimism is the result of the evolution shown by the car after the updates recently introduced. According to him, the changes allowed extracting more performance from the package and increased his confidence behind the wheel, although there are still areas that need development.
“We took some positive steps in Miami and the pace is much closer to where we need to be. I felt we managed to extract better performance from the car and I felt more comfortable. However, we will keep pushing because there are always aspects we can improve and develop, that’s how we work as a team,” Verstappen said.
Looking ahead to the challenge on the streets of Monaco, the Dutch driver highlighted that strategy and starting position usually carry even more weight than at other circuits. For this reason, he considers it essential to achieve the best possible result in the qualifying session to increase the chances of a competitive weekend.
“Monaco always depends on a good strategy and, as happens every year here, it will be crucial to get the best possible result in qualifying,” he said. Verstappen also mentioned that he took advantage of the recent break to rest and spend more time with his family before the next sequence of races.
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Off the track, Red Bull Powertrains-Ford also has reasons to celebrate. The company’s technical director, Ben Hodgkinson, highlighted the first podium achieved with the power unit developed by Red Bull’s own project, describing the result as an important achievement given the competition faced.
“Formula 1 is about winning, but this first podium powered by our own power unit is certainly something to be celebrated. Red Bull Powertrains-Ford is a newcomer competing against some of the biggest names in the automotive and motorsport industries, and facing these companies at the front of the grid is something the whole team can be proud of,” he said.
Even acknowledging that there is still a considerable gap to the current leaders, Hodgkinson believes the evolution is happening in the right direction: “There is still a long way to go and we know the gap to the leaders is significant, but we are learning fast, expanding our capabilities, and advancing in the right areas. We are excited for the upcoming races as we continue this progression and seek our first victory in this new era of Formula 1,” the director concluded.
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