For Max Verstappen it’s not about information, it’s about successful.
The Crimson Bull driver might do each on the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday as he appears to firmly etch his title within the System One document books.
Having equaled Sebastian Vettel’s F1 document of 9 straight victories on the Dutch GP final weekend, Verstappen can break it on the well-known Monza observe.
However the 25-year-old is concentrated on one sole factor: the victory.
“I imply, I by no means thought that I’d win 9 in a row, to start with,” Verstappen mentioned. “However yeah, now that we’re right here, in fact I’ll attempt to win 10, nevertheless it’s extra about that I wish to simply win.” Vettel set the consecutive wins document in 2013 with Crimson Bull throughout its first dominant period — when he gained 4 straight titles — and Verstappen remembers how astounded he was as a youngster when he noticed the German driver obtain that feat.
“I keep in mind when he did it, I mentioned ‘Wow, that’s only a loopy quantity. I feel nobody ever will do one thing like that’,” Verstappen mentioned. “And right here we’re . . . however I’m additionally not likely too fixated on it.” Few would guess on Verstappen bettering that “loopy quantity” at Monza in a season he’s overwhelmingly dominating.
Final weekend’s win elevated his big championship result in 138 factors as he races towards a 3rd straight world title.
Verstappen additionally moved nearer to his personal F1 document of 15 wins set final 12 months and onto 46 total — already fifth all-time in wins. Alain Prost (51) and Vettel (53) are inside his sights with 9 races left.
And individuals are already speaking about Verstappen being thought-about one of many all-time greats, regardless of his comparatively younger age.
“Nicely, I imply, everybody, in fact, has their very own opinion about these form of issues,” Verstappen mentioned. “However for me, I’m not — I used to be by no means — in F1 to try to show that I belong in between different folks’s names . . . ” One factor that may play in his rivals’ favor this weekend is that Verstappen has hardly ever fared nicely on the Italian Grand Prix — though he ended his winless run at Monza final 12 months. Earlier than lastly clinching victory on the Temple of Velocity, Verstappen had by no means completed greater than fifth — in 2018.
Crimson Bull has gained each race this 12 months however, regardless of Verstappen trying seemingly invincible, some assume the crew will battle at Monza, the quickest observe on the calendar.
Not Verstappen.
He mentioned: “Individuals are allowed to want for these form of issues however I feel that is going to be a superb observe for us.” GAP TO PEREZ
Unbeaten Crimson Bull is dominating the constructors’ standings identical to Verstappen is crushing the drivers’ championship.
The crew is chasing a record-extending fifteenth straight win on Sunday — together with final season’s last race — and has greater than double the factors of second-place Mercedes.
However most of these factors have been earned by Verstappen who has gained 11 of the 13 races to date, with teammate Sergio Pérez claiming simply two victories.
“It’s fairly onerous to see as his teammate, you realize,” Pérez mentioned. “It doesn’t actually matter what’s occurred, whether or not we’ve got a superb margin or unhealthy margins or the automotive is changing into tough. He’s been capable of extract 100%, out of him, out of the automotive, just about each weekend.”
Pérez’s two victories got here within the opening 4 rounds however the Mexican driver’s season has imploded since then and he was an astonishing 1.3 seconds behind Verstappen in qualifying for the Dutch GP, regardless of having the identical automotive.
“Positively I went by way of a little bit of a troublesome patch by way of the center of the season the place I used to be struggling probably the most with the automotive,” Perez mentioned. “However I feel that’s all behind us and we ought to be having good races to any extent further.”
FUMBLING FERRARI
Ferrari hasn’t had the most effective of instances at its residence observe of late, providing little for the hundreds of red-clad native followers — “tifosi” — to cheer about lately.
Charles Leclerc claimed victory for the Scuderia in 2019 however that has been its solely win since 2010.
Leclerc got here shut final 12 months however completed second after one other questionable technique resolution from Ferrari.
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That was simply certainly one of quite a lot of botched technique choices and weird incidents which have plagued Ferrari for the previous two seasons, with the newest coming on the Zandvoort observe final weekend.
That and the automotive’s unpredictability means Leclerc and his teammate Carlos Sainz Jr. are dealing with an uphill battle. However Leclerc stays optimistic.
“We ought to be a bit extra aggressive right here,” he mentioned. “Then, whether or not it is going to be sufficient to struggle for the rostrum, I don’t know however I actually hope so and we’ll do every thing for it, for certain.”