Verstappen on ... the future
Looking more long-term, how patient are you? Are you willing to stay here for two, three, maybe even four seasons if that’s what Red Bull tell you to do? Or are you are you thinking ‘I’ve proven myself, I’ve shown what I can do in this sort of car, give me something even better’?
“I’m here to win races, that’s for sure. But I think at least one or two races is good for yourself as well to build up your confidence and experience, that’s the most important thing. You experience other things as well because like now the last two races I had to start last - or almost last at Spa - and it gives you a different view on how to approach a race. Then the most important thing is to stay out of trouble and make a very clean race and go to the front. I think I’ve done that in Spa and in Monza so I’m very happy about that. I think that’s also what the big teams want, they want a very consistent driver without making mistakes who scores points. So far with the package we have I think we are doing a good job with that. I think two years is good, but hopefully after those two years I have the chance to win races.”
Do you feel you have the consistency now that you could win a race given the right car?
“Difficult to tell. I mean, there are a lot of talented drivers out here, but if I had a package like Mercedes I wouldn't finish outside the podium, that’s for sure…”
Last year Suzuka was your debut at Toro Rosso, next week we go back there. I understand you took it quite easy there last year, will you be really attacking the circuit this year?
“We’ll do exactly the same. It’s a very difficult track to get right and also last year was the first time in this hybrid car. The first time I went out I was like ‘Woah, this is really fast’. I mean, I did this testing in Adria with the old car but then you jumped in to this new one and it was proper power. So I had to get used to everything. It was the first time for me over 300kph and then you had to take 130R flat, so it was really tricky if you have to take a corner over 300kph flat. So for sure I’m more confident to go there in the car now because you know how the car is reacting and stuff so it will always go a bit more smoothly than last time out, but for sure you take your margin.”
Aside from Barcelona testing it’s the first track you’ll go to having already driven it in an F1 car, so do you feel better prepared in that sense?
“For sure it always helps. The only thing is last year’s car and this year’s car is quite a bit different to drive. If I compare this one now with Abu Dhabi last year and stuff the car is really different.”
Much more downforce on this one?
“Much more downforce, the steering input is really different. That’s what I said immediately after I drove last year’s car; I want more steering input like I had in F3. So that’s what we have now, so I’m really happy about that.”
Immediately pushing the directions for what you want from the car…
“Yeah, it’s all about feeling. I mean, if you don’t feel comfortable with the car you can’t get the performance out of it. Even if it’s the best solution, if the driver isn’t feeling well then they can push but the time is not coming. But if you take something else that you have more feeling in, it will help the driver and the performance will come.”
