Max Verstappen

Verstappen in the wet at Monza: 'Anything can happen', say Red Bull

Might we see something spectacular?

Matthew Scott

Friday 6 September 2019 15:02

Red Bull are hoping that a weather-affected Italian Grand Prix may produce the kind of chaos that could see Max Verstappen secure a big result from the back of the grid.

Verstappen has taken Honda's fourth engine upgrade of the season at Monza, and will be joined at the back of the grid by former Red Bull team-mate Pierre Gasly in the Toro Rosso, as well as McLaren's Lando Norris.

New colleague Alexander Albon fought from 17th on the grid to fifth at the chequered flag in Belgium a week ago, aided by late retirements for Norris and Antonio Giovinazzi.

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With rain forecast for race day, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner hopes Verstappen can shine in the wet, as he did to win the German GP earlier this year.

Horner told Sky Sports: "Here you can overtake so if we have a little bit of weather like there was in P1, which the forecast is saying could be around late Sunday morning… if that front is a bit delayed, anything can happen.

"This is a track that we've chosen to take the penalty, it's not because we have to, we've chosen to take it here because, strategically, you can overtake."

Crucial to Verstappen's chances may be the power that his new engine can deliver and Horner says the signs are positive.

"What they see on the dyno absolutely has delivered previously," he said. "We haven't run it in any aggressive mode during practice so far, but I think what they saw in the Toro Rosso last weekend was really encouraging.

"We've got no doubt it'll carry through into the engines we use here this weekend."

A poor start boxed Verstappen in at Turn 1 in Belgium and resulted in his early DNF, and the Dutchman said that finding a fix had proved tricky for the team.

Horner said of Red Bull's sluggish launches: "They've been variable this year and a lot of effort's going into trying to get engine revs matched with gearbox and all the electronics working together.

"There's been an awful lot of effort going into that over the last week or so and hopefully we'll see some improvement this weekend."