Helmut Marko believes that Max Verstappen doesn’t need any “start-up time” to get used to the cars of 2022. The Austrian claimed that the reigning world champion will be on the right track from the start.
In an interview with ServusTV, Marko said about Red Bull’s prospects for the 2022 season:
“Max doesn’t need any start-up time. He’s always quick right away. “
Max Verstappen has already spoken about his attitude towards driving and how he wants to adapt his “driving style” to the new cars. The Dutchman says that he doesn’t have a specific driving style, but that he constantly tries to adapt to the needs of the car in order to get the most out of it.
The new generation of cars will have significantly less downforce compared to the previous generation and will therefore be significantly more difficult to drive at the edge. However, based on initial tests in team simulators, drivers and engineers have different opinions about the driving behavior of the new cars.
In an interview with RaceFans early last year, Alfa Romeo’s technical director Jan Monchaux claimed that the higher weight of the new cars combined with the thinner 18-inch tires will make handling worse compared to the previous generation of vehicles.
This opinion was shared by a number of drivers, including McLaren’s Lando Norris. The Brit claimed, based on his tests on the team’s simulator, that the cars are much more similar in handling to those in F2.
Meanwhile, the outgoing Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas had a different opinion of the new cars after working in Mercedes and Alfa Romeo simulators. The Finn claimed in an interview with Autosport that there was no “crazy” difference between the two generations in terms of handling and said that the new cars lacked “a bit of downforce”.
Max Verstappen has a history of adapting quickly to new cars
Helmut Marko’s claims that Max Verstappen doesn’t need time to familiarize himself with a new car are backed up by the Dutchman’s impressive achievements throughout his career in Formula 1.
In his seven-year career in the premier class of motorsport, Verstappen has often got the best out of the package that has been given to him. He has proven to be a constant thorn in the side of Mercedes and Ferrari, even though he had relatively little experience in formula racing before F1.
Verstappen’s ability to get the most out of a difficult car was most evident in the 2020 season when Red Bull had a fast but difficult to maneuver car. The RB16 was extremely fickle in terms of handling and generally suffered from tail instability.
While his teammate Alex Albon had to make setup compromises in order to crack the rear end at low speeds, Verstappen often relied on risky setups that delivered more power.
On that day in 2016
Rain master Max Verstappen showed his true potential in an exciting #BrazilGP
From P4 to P2. Fall back to the 16th and march back onto the podium, all in one race.
Get ready for another thriller this weekend in Brazil.
On this day in 2016, rain champion Max Verstappen showed his true potential in an exciting # BrazilGP
From P4 to P2. Fall back to the 16th and march back onto the podium, all in one race. Get ready for another thriller this weekend in Brazil. https://t.co/0eYm0nk2kg
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Max Verstappen has also proven time and again that he can find support even in adverse weather conditions while everyone else is fighting. One of the most memorable examples of such an accomplishment was at the 2016 Brazilian Grand Prix when it whizzed through the field in soaking wet conditions to land on the podium.
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