What Red Bull driver Max Verstappen expects from the Italian Grand Prix in Monza and what he holds against his former team-mate Pierre Gasly
Alpine driver Pierre Gasly voices a bold thesis. He believes the Italian Grand Prix in Monza could be the “most difficult” race for Max Verstappen in the Red Bull. What does Verstappen have to say about it? Not much, just, “People can wish for it, but I think Monza will be a good track for us.”
Verstappen’s attitude is no coincidence: the Red Bull RB19 is considered the best car of the 2023 Formula 1 season and impresses above all with its outstanding top speed and convincing performance on circuits where little downforce is required. The car and Verstappen were already in their element at Spa-Francorchamps and will probably be in their element at Monza as well.
Then Verstappen has the historic chance to achieve his tenth Grand Prix victory in a row. That would make him the sole record holder ahead of Alberto Ascari (1952-53) and Sebastian Vettel (2013), who had won nine in a row before him.
Why Verstappen isn’t thinking about a tenth win
For Verstappen, however, such a thing is still surreal: “I never thought I would win nine races in a row, but it happened. Of course I will try to make it ten. But actually it’s more about me just wanting to win. The ten doesn’t matter in my head. That also helps to just focus on the weekend.”
Because a Grand Prix event like this is “difficult enough” without the added pressure of having to win for the statistics. “And most of all, we have to see how everything feels and what happens,” Verstappen says.
Ten years ago, the last time a Formula One driver achieved such a winning streak, Verstappen was just 15 years old. “I was watching then and I can remember it. At that time I thought, ‘Wow. This is already crazy.’ And I believed nobody would ever accomplish something like that again. Yet it happened. “
Verstappen takes a philosophical view of the record chase
There are “crazy numbers” in the room, Verstappen says. “But as I said, I’m not really fixated on it at all.”
He also doesn’t let himself get rattled by the fact that every series comes to an end. “I already had that this year,” he says, probably alluding to the two races he didn’t win in 2023.
“In life, you lose more than you win. I’m not worried about that. I know because I’ve already experienced the other side,” Verstappen explains, adding, “I’ve lost more than I’ve won. But you take all the races with you. It’s just the way it is.”
Would there ever be a track later in the year where Red Bull might not have an easy time? Verstappen shrugs, then says: “Yeah, I think Singapore might be a bit more difficult than Spa, Zandvoort and all the other tracks.” That’s all he says about it.
