Verstappen targets podium finish at Zandvoort, but thinks McLaren are out of reach
Despite having ended up third on the grid for today’s Dutch Grand Prix, home favourite Max Verstappen conceded that Red Bull has struggled all weekend long to find the balance for the RB21 at the Zandvoort track.
Following the opening day at the Dutch Grand Prix, Max Verstappen had predicted that he might struggle to qualify inside the top three.
However, the home favourite bounced back on Saturday, and delivered a sensational performance, setting the quickest sector time in the middle segment of the Zandvoort circuit to secure third place for Sunday’s race.
His team-mate Yuki Tsunoda displayed an improved form on Saturday, but the close marhins meant he only ended up 12th on the grid.
Commenting on his qualifying day at Zandvoort, Verstappen said: “ I am happy with our performance today and things all came together for Qualifying. This weekend we have been struggling a bit with the balance but today felt a lot more normal after making some final adjustments just ahead of Qualifying.
“This really brought the balance together for us, which was a big positive and this made it more fun to push the car to the limit around this track. The wind also made things a bit trickier but this was the same for everyone.
“Our fight will be to keep the others behind and hopefully we have enough pace for P3. We will need a bit of luck to win here but I want to target a podium tomorrow."
Pressed on to comment on his quickest lap, the reigning champion noted: “I mean, so far this weekend, we’ve been struggling for grip and general balance. Luckily in qualifying it was the best that I’ve felt all weekend.
“That’s, of course, what you like. It all just felt a bit more normal, a bit more together. Still not on the level of McLaren, of course, but at least to be P3 is very good for us.
“So, we did the right things in terms of setup directions. I’m very happy with that. It just made it a bit more fun — you had to push to the limit around here, which has some incredible layouts.
Signing off with a word for his expectations, Verstappen conceded that he fears his RB21 will struggle to save the tyres which has been the case
“It’s a bit unknown, but I do think that what we have on the car should be more stable. But this season in general, our race pace has not been the best in terms of if you compare it to a qualifying lap.
“But I just hope that at least we can keep the guys behind us literally behind us in the race. What happens in front of me, I have no control over. I’ll just try to do the best I can from my side.”
