F1 News, Reports and Race Results

Verstappen seeks to lay groundwork for 'stronger 2017'

Max Verstappen says he wants to utilise the final two races of the 2016 Formula One season to build “towards an even stronger” 2017 campaign, starting with this weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix.

The Dutchman’s sophomore year in the sport has already been quite successful, as Verstappen graduated from Toro Rosso to the main Red Bull team after four events and became the youngest race winner in F1 history in Barcelona.

The 19-year-old have secured another five podiums, while his team has moved past Ferrari in the pecking order and continued to chip away at Mercedes.

“It is obviously the penultimate race of 2016,” Verstappen said ahead of the Interlagos event. “It is strange to think we are heading to Abu Dhabi in just a few weeks’ time, but I’m looking forward to finishing the year on a high and building towards an even stronger 2017.”

Talking about the characteristics of the Autodromo José Carlos Pace, the Spanish Grand Prix winner added: “I like the track in Brazil, it’s a really special layout with quite a bit of height elevation, and it is anti-clockwise which always adds a bit more fun to the challenge.

“The track is quite a technical layout, especially sector 2, it’s important to get this right for a quick lap. Like many of the circuits we race at it has had a lot of history and great moments over the years, this makes it one of the “special” ones on the calendar.”

F1i Classic: Brazil 1991 - Senna's pain and glory

TECHNICAL ANALYSIS - Mexico

FEATURE: Foul Play or Foul Language

Scene at the 2016 Mexican Grand Prix

Mexican Grand Prix - Quotes of the week

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

Julien Billiotte

Recent Posts

Coulthard left ‘speechless’ Formula E GEN4 car after Monaco blast

David Coulthard has never been short of superlatives in a racing career that took him…

47 minutes ago

Not a flying Keke or Mika, but a Finn nevertheless

He wasn't a flying Keke or Mika, but he was nevertheless a Finn and actually…

2 hours ago

Heartbreak for Verstappen at the Nürburgring but ‘I’ll be back’

Max Verstappen’s bid to conquer the Nürburgring 24 Hours has ended in a cloud of…

4 hours ago

Button on racing’s mental toll: ‘As drivers, we’re flawed’

Jenson Button has offered a stark, unusually candid reflection on what really sits beneath the…

4 hours ago

Bearman recalls F1 debut with Ferrari as one 'crazy step’

For most young racing drivers, a call-up to Ferrari would feel like a dream. For…

6 hours ago

Verstappen leads Nürburgring 24 Hours in thrilling closing stages

With less than five hours remaining in the grueling Nürburgring 24 Hours, Max Verstappen has…

7 hours ago