Janice R. Andrews
The three-time world champion Max Verstappen is getting ready for a difficult Monaco Grand Prix this weekend, well knowing that his rivals are stepping up their efforts to stop him from winning the drivers’ championship for a record fourth time. Even though Verstappen has a commanding 48-point lead in the drivers’ championship, he admits that the peculiar obstacles presented by Monaco’s streets might make his rivals—Ferrari and McLaren in particular—a serious threat.
The 26-year-old Dutchman, who won the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix last Sunday by a razor-thin margin, voiced worries about the race on Thursday. He said, “It’s one of the more challenging tracks for us.” Ferrari has been incredibly good here for the past few years, but McLaren has recently improved their performance in the last two races. They are definitely ones to keep an eye on as well.”
Verstappen has good reason to be concerned. Ferrari has always performed exceptionally well at the Monaco Grand Prix, especially on the narrow, winding streets of the principality on the Mediterranean. A further level of rivalry has been introduced by McLaren’s recent comeback, which was exemplified by Lando Norris’s first victory in Miami three weeks ago.
Verstappen said, “There are always surprises in Monaco.” “Last year, Esteban Ocon did an amazing lap in qualifying, so these kinds of things can happen when someone feels really good, really confident.”
Verstappen has demonstrated remarkable form this season, winning five of the first seven races. Still, he understands that the competition is getting more intense. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who is presently ranked second, and Norris are becoming more and more difficult opponents.
This Saturday’s qualifying session will be a major priority for Verstappen. In order to improve his chances of winning on Sunday, he wants to extend his record-tying run of eight pole positions to a new record of nine. Verstappen said, “In Monaco, qualifying is crucial.” “Getting pole position here can make a huge difference because overtaking during the race is extremely difficult.”
Verstappen and his Red Bull crew face unique technical hurdles because of Monaco’s steep kerbs and barrier-lined streets. Red Bull’s solitary podium finish from last year came from the street track Singapore Grand Prix, which also featured steep kerbs. Verstappen said, “Our car normally struggles a bit over bumps and kerbs.” “We did work on it a bit compared to last year, and I think our low-speed performance has improved a little on most of the tracks we’ve been to this year.”
Even with these advancements, Verstappen is still circumspect. “I don’t think it’s going to be an easy weekend! Monaco is never straightforward, even when you have the best car. It is so very tricky. You need to get everything to work, and there is always a lot of disruption.”
Verstappen is especially anxious to prevent a recurrence of the problems he faced in Imola, when he battled in practice and had a bad start. He did, however, rally and win by a scant 0.725 seconds over Norris. “For sure, things have closed up a lot since Miami, and now it is very dependent on finding the best set-up,” he stated. “We have to be at our best, and maybe in the last few races we haven’t been operating at that level.”
Dramatic turnarounds and unpredictability are hallmarks of the Monaco Grand Prix. Verstappen is getting ready for a weekend where every little thing counts, as the stakes are higher than ever. Maintaining his lead in the championship and advancing toward a fourth world title will depend heavily on his ability to handle the intricacies of this legendary street circuit.
With the hope of an exciting and hotly contested race in the center of Monaco, all eyes will be on Verstappen and his competitors as the weekend draws near.
