Verstappen wants Red Bull to take more risks

Max Verstappen says Red Bull's qualifying performances might have improved in 2019 if the team had gambled more.

Verstappen has enjoyed his most consistent F1 campaign to date, but is fourth in the drivers' standings with four races to go, over 100 points adrift of championship leader Lewis Hamilton, a similar spot he finished last season in.

The Dutchman secured his maiden pole position at the Hungarian Grand Prix, but Red Bull have generally been behind Ferrari and Mercedes in one-lap pace all year, hindering their race efforts.

Reliability has been much-improved in Red Bull's first season with Honda, but Verstappen says pushing the boundaries might have delivered better results.

"In qualifying we come up short on the straights anyway," Verstappen told Ziggo Sports.

"Everyone was in each other's slipstream, within five to six seconds of each other. That will give you one and a half to two tenths. In the first sector you want to be six seconds behind, but in the last sector you win time. I did my qualifying lap all on my own, and that happens more often, that you do not get a slipstream.

"These cars are very sensitive to that. In the end we could have been fifth or in the best scenario third.

"We do not have much to lose, so I think we could take some more risks. Then I would hope to make just that extra step in qualifying to end ahead of Mercedes or Ferrari."

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