F1 News, Reports and Race Results

Verstappen focused on consistency, will choose 'moments to shine'

Max Verstappen says having a competitive car capable of winning the title this year will encourage him to choose when to settle for points and when to "shine".

The Red Bull charger traded wins with Lewis Hamilton in the first two races of 2021, but the Milton Keynes-based outfits RB16B has so far proved to be a faster all-round machine compared to Mercedes more temperamental W12.

Although the combative Dutchman is always determined to give it all on race day, this year he is opting for a slightly more conservative approach, where points are paramount. But that does not imply that he won't always try to get the most out of his car.

"I don’t think you lose speed," Verstappen said. "It’s just choosing your moments when to shine."

"I mean, you have to understand that if it’s not your day, then you have to settle for a certain result.

"Whereas in the past, we had sometimes a car where we could win races, but we knew we were not in a championship fight so you might risk it a bit more.

"Of course, when you are in a championship fight or at least you know that you have a car which can be competitive more often, your approach does change a little bit because you cannot afford to lose too many points in a weekend where, let’s say, you’re not at your top level.

"So I think that’s what we always have to make sure that even if we don’t have a perfect weekend, we still score a lot of points."

Verstappen acknowledged that Red Bull may not always have the upper hand over Mercedes on specific circuits, but that's all the more reason to focus on consistency insists the 23-year-old.

"I just want to do the best job possible every single weekend and, of course, try to make the least mistakes possible," he said.

"I always feel confident; it’s nothing to do with if you win a race or not. I just hope we are very competitive as the last two races, but yeah, every single weekend you just have to make sure you are on top of the car… because it’s so close between us and Mercedes you really do have to get on top of the car to make a difference

"And that’s what we’ll do this weekend."

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Michael Delaney

Recent Posts

Sad Colapinto laments two crashes in one day in Sao Paulo

Williams suffered a bruising time on Sunday in Sao Paulo, with Alex Albon unable to…

1 hour ago

McLaren: No regrets over timing of Norris pit stop in Sao Paulo GP

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has insisted that the squad has no regrets about their…

3 hours ago

Williams' Boutsen hoists the mainsail in Adelaide

On this day in 1989, Williams' Thierry Boutsen secured his second F1 win when he…

4 hours ago

Horner: Max 'answered critics' with epic Sao Paulo GP drive

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner hailed Max Verstappen’s sensational Sao Paulo Grand Prix victory…

5 hours ago

Sainz left puzzled by double crash drama in rainy São Paulo

Carlos Sainz was left scratching his head after a disastrous Sunday at the Sao Paulo…

6 hours ago

Alonso pushed through agonizing pain to complete Sao Paulo GP

Fernando Alonso braved both physical agony and mechanical challenges in the Sao Paulo Grand Prix,…

7 hours ago