Verstappen towards his debut in Madrid in F1
High curbs, slow corners and few full-throttle sections: the layout of the Madrid circuit, which will debut this weekend in F1, mixes several challenges that Red Bull has faced in recent years, and this is also why Max Verstappen is not very confident for this weekend.
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The four-time world champion on Thursday in Madrid highlighted Red Bull’s long-standing problem when it has to be aggressive on the curb. To these unknowns are added the more common ones: the circuit is new for everyone (or almost, Fernando Alonso is keen to specify) and hides pitfalls not to be underestimated. The Dutchman, for his part, can compensate with his innate ability to adapt immediately to any type of context.
Verstappen’s words
“The issue with curbs and bumps is a problem we have known for a long time and we are trying to understand it, solve it and improve. We know they are not ideal for our car“, this was Verstappen’s comment in the Madrid paddock.
“It is a challenging and tough track, let’s see how it will be to drive it. In some places, when you have a small moment of difficulty, you can have an accident, but it is the same in Jeddah: compared to Arabia there are many more slow corners, but in terms of feel it reminds me of it. You just have to manage the situation, trying to understand the margins and keep everything under control“.
In recent weeks Verstappen has admitted that Red Bull is already thinking about 2027. The four-time world champion, however, will try to take advantage of every opportunity to defend his streak of seasons with at least one win: so far, as a Red Bull driver, he has never gone empty-handed.
