dpa
Zandvoort, Netherlands
Max Verstappen is aware that his 100% record at the Dutch home grand prix is under threat on Sunday as other Formula One teams have lately started to make life difficult for the triple world champion and his Red Bull team.
Verstappen leads the championship 78 points ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris but he has not won in four races and only made the podium once in the period.
McLaren and Mercedes appear to pose the biggest threat again as F1 ends a four-week summer break at Zandvoort.
Verstappen has won his previous three races there since 2021 but admitted that this fourth weekend will “for sure” be his toughest.
“It looks like there are many more teams involved that can actually win a race, so for sure I’m not coming into this weekend saying that we’re going to win the race,” he said on Thursday.
“I just want to have a clean weekend, understand the car a bit more, learn from it.
“Of course we analysed a lot over the break and tried to do things maybe a bit different or better, and we’ll find out over the weekend how that will go.” “Last year coming here I was a lot more confident that we had a good chance of winning the race, but that’s how the season is already, it’s a lot more competitive.”
The 14 races have seen seven different winners but overall Verstappen remains upbeat for the remaining 10 races with the Abu Dhabi season ender.
“I’m not really worried, I’m also not thinking about Abu Dhabi yet. I just want to improve as a team, to improve the car.”
Sunday’s race will mark his 200th GP since a 2015 debut as the youngest ever driver at age 17 and 166 days. He has won 61 of the 199 grands prix and has a Red Bull contract until 2028.
Asked whether he can see himself contest another 200 races, he said “no” and added that “we passed halfway for sure.
“It’s been an incredible ride. It doesn’t feel like 200, but we’re doing a lot of races now in a year, so you add them quite quickly.”
Verstappen said he is not looking far ahead towards a contract renewal at Red Bull but rather at 2026 when another round of F1 reforms comes into force.
“I just want to see how it goes. Also see the new regulations first, if it’s fun or not. Then even in 26 or 27 there is a lot of time to decide what happens,” he said.
