Max Verstappen is bracing for an isolated race at the Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix after another difficult qualifying session. The Red Bull driver could only manage seventh on the grid, in front of his adoring home fans at Zandvoort.
He had announced his contract extension ahead of what could be F1's final visit to Zandvoort for the foreseeable future, hoping to put on a show. Instead, the RB22 lacked confidence and poise, with balance issues that have plagued him all season.
After qualifying, Verstappen confirmed that setup changes between the Sprint and qualifying proved futile. "It's just the same," he said to media, including Motorsport Week. "Same balance issues that we had all weekend. So with the big changes that we made, that unfortunately didn't really do anything to the car."
"Really basically the whole year. It's not rare that something has popped up. I think also some changes need to be made for next year," added the four-time world champion.
Ahead of the race, Verstappen targeted moving forward or facing being completely cut off from the front runners. "I would hope so. I mean, otherwise we are completely alone. So I hope that we can close the gap a little bit potentially in the race," he said.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Verstappen appeared braced for a challenging race. "I don't know. Difficult to say at the moment when you are just lacking pace. Just need to try and do our own race and see if it's positive or not," he said.
"For sure, this is not our best layout, probably, but we just need to work on it tomorrow. It might be a little bit better, but yeah, we need to try and just dial it out," he added.
Verstappen also dismissed frustration. "It's not frustrating. I mean, we've been in that situation basically the whole year, you know? It's not something that has just popped up," he said.
His low expectations for Sunday will disappoint many in the grandstands. Add in Verstappen battling illness this weekend, and the Dutchman faces a hard task to make what could be his last race at Zandvoort in a long time an event to remember.
Baca Juga
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