Max Verstappen feels the cars in 2021 were much better in terms of drivability compared to this year’s models. The Dutchman preferred winning a championship in the previous generation of cars over the current ones.
Answering Sportskeeda’s question in the drivers’ press conference ahead of the 2022 Dutch GP, the Dutchman said:
“I think from pure feeling and sensation, I prefer last year’s car, like over a lap. But I have to say, I think it has mainly to do with the weight increase of the car. In the low speed, it’s a bit more of a struggle. So, because you have to run the car really stiff, compared to last year. But the high speed is nice with the new cars. I think they’re quite stable there. So, it has a few positives.”
The Dutch driver was clear that he preferred the qualifying pace of the 2021 cars in comparison to the 2022’s and their ability to deliver.
Despite his preference for a one-lap pace of last year’s cars, Max Verstappen feels there are positive takeaways with new models such as their high-speed drivability and ability to race wheel-to-wheel. The Red Bull champion also felt that the stiffness and weight of the current cars makes them less likable.
Despite showing his preference for the previous generation of the cars, the Red Bull driver also expressed his satisfaction with the current variants, saying:
“But I think at the end of the day, they are designed to make the racing better. And that definitely improved a bit, so we should be happy with that. But yeah, over one pure lap I think last year’s car was really nice.”
Max Verstappen believes the battle at the Zandvoort circuit could get close in terms of performance
The Dutchman believes the Spa-Francorchamps circuit layout suits their car more than the others, but his home grand prix could be different. Clueless on how their car will function compared to their rivals, Max Verstappen believes the Dutch GP could be different due to the characteristics of the circuit.
Reluctantly confident that the he will dominate the race like Spa, the Red Bull champion said:
“Yeah, I think so. You know, Spa was amazing for us and I think better than expected. I think it’s just our car with the layout, it suited the car really well. Here, of course, you run again a lot of downforce on the car, completely different track layout, less straight line speed in general. So yeah, it’s going to be interesting. I mean, for sure, if we nail our setup, the car is going to be quick but it’s a bit of a question mark of how quick it’s going to be compared to others.”
Part of Red Bull’s dominance was due to Ferrari botching their strategy, but the strange part was the difference in performance between both their drivers, which was 17.5 seconds by the last lap in Belgium. Max Verstappen also admitted that they did not expect the previous weekend to favor them to such an extent.
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