AUSTIN — All through the FIA Press Convention after the F1 Dash Race at the US Grand Prix, and as he walked out of the room, one thing was again for Max Verstappen.
A smile on his face.
After capturing pole place on Friday for the F1 Dash, Verstappen delivered a wire-to-wire on Saturday. The consequence noticed him pull two factors additional forward of Lando Norris of their struggle for the Formulation 1 Drivers’ Championship, and it additionally introduced Crimson Bull two factors nearer to McLaren within the Constructors’ title struggle.
“Yeah, I’m comfortable,” started Verstappen within the FIA Press Convention. “Yeah, it’s been, in fact, fairly a couple of races the place it was extra like simply trying behind, by no means actually having the ability to assault. And now, lastly, the automobile positively had simply extra efficiency. I may push a bit more durable. So, yeah, very, very proud of at present. I imply, trying on the complete race, I feel Ferrari was additionally very fast. However for us, this was already a lot, a lot better.”
Verstappen was requested concerning the temper at Crimson Bull in latest weeks, weeks which have seen McLaren overtake them within the title struggle. As the motive force famous, the workforce merely centered on the issues they may management.
“I feel what has been essential for us in the previous few races is to stay calm and simply work on the issues,” stated Verstappen. “And that’s what we have now executed as a workforce. Simply deal with ourselves. That’s the one factor you can affect and management.”
The outcomes up to now right here in Austin appear to validate what has been coming from the Crimson Bull camp in latest weeks. As McLaren captured the lead within the title struggle, Crimson Bull pointed to Austin as maybe the second the place issues may come collectively for them once more.
Again in September Crimson Bull Senior Advisor Dr. Helmut Marko pointed to this week as decisive relating to whether or not the workforce may reverse their fortunes.
“We’re having a tire take a look at with Liam Lawson in Monza and on the similar time our folks might be analyzing the place we should always make changes. We now have to seek out the purpose the place we went unsuitable in improvement,” stated Marko to Austrian outlet OE24. “We have already got a couple of conclusive findings, now we have now to implement the corresponding technical modifications shortly in order that the automobile has the suitable stability once more. The subsequent two races on the road circuits in Baku and Singapore will not be very informative on this regard. Austin will present whether or not we are able to obtain the turnaround.”
Evidently turnaround is upon us, and it has introduced a smile to Max Verstappen’s face once more.
