Max Verstappen expressed his hope of achieving “at least one win this season” after the four-time world champion found himself in an unfamiliar position in the Formula 1 World Championship standings after 15 rounds, in a season that is considered one of the most difficult in his career in recent years.
After years of dominating the championship, the Red Bull driver has only climbed to the podium seven times this season, while he is still searching for his first victory, even though he came close to that by finishing second in the last two races held in Madrid and Baku.
The Dutchman is among a limited number of drivers who have previously raced at the Sepang Circuit, which returns to the Formula 1 schedule for the first time in nine years, after the Bahrain Grand Prix was moved there due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Although “Red Bull” outperformed “Ferrari” and “McLaren” in terms of scoring points in the last three rounds, Verstappen acknowledged that the difference is still large with “Mercedes”, which is imposing its dominance in the drivers’ and constructors’ championships this season.
He said: “Unfortunately, we are still far from (Mercedes). “They are the fastest, or they were for most of the season.”
He added: “I am doing everything I can, and it is good that we are constantly on the podium, but my goal is to win. That's why I participate in races. “I feel that we are getting close to that, and I hope that we will succeed in achieving at least one win before the end of the season.”
Verstappen was the last driver to win at the Sepang Circuit, when he scored the second victory in his career there, but he admitted that returning to the circuit after nearly a decade seemed a bit strange.
He told reporters today (Thursday): “When I entered the teams’ hospitality area in the arena, I did not even know where I was going. "It's been a long time already."
He added: “I have always enjoyed racing here. “I like the design of the track very much, but it is one of the exhausting tracks due to the high tire consumption and high temperature, which makes the race a real physical challenge.”
Verstappen saw that the updates that Red Bull introduced to the car in Baku seemed promising, but he stressed that the real judgment on them requires more time, especially since the characteristics of that circuit have always been suitable for the team.
He said: “We have to wait for the upcoming races to know the true level of the car. “It is useful for us to test it on different tracks to better understand its strengths and weaknesses.”
He added: “We are learning a lot at this stage in preparation for the next season. The upcoming races will give us a clearer picture of what we need and what direction we want to develop the car towards. Since we are not in the competition for the title this year, this period represents a very important opportunity to learn and develop.”
Regarding the ambiguity that still surrounds the holding of the last two rounds of the season in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, Verstappen stressed his confidence in the ability of Formula 1 and the International Automobile Federation to make the appropriate decision.
He said: “I always love racing there, but the most important thing is to make decisions according to the appropriate circumstances.”
He added: “I trust that (Formula 1) and the International Automobile Federation have more information than us, so I am confident that they will make the right decision.”
