F1 News: Max Verstappen admits being INTIMIDATED by feature

Max Verstappen, Red Bull, Japan, 2024 — Photo: © IMAGO

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Verstappen admits being INTIMIDATED by F1 feature

Max Verstappen eyes Suzuka resurgence after Melbourne setback

Yara Elshebiny

Saturday 6 April 2024 17:57

Fresh off a surprise DNF in Australia, reigning champion Max Verstappen is looking to bounce back at the high-speed Suzuka circuit.

Verstappen's imperious run came to a screeching halt two weeks ago at the Australian Grand Prix when a fire on his right rear brake forced him out on the fourth lap, snapping a nine-race winning streak that stretched back to last season.

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The disappointment was palpable for the Dutchman, who saw Ferrari's Carlos Sainz snatch his third career victory.

Despite the Melbourne setback, Verstappen remains atop the drivers' standings. His two wins in the first two races of the season in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have him sitting on 51 points, with his closest rival, Charles Leclerc, trailing by four points.

Verstappen's Red Bull future has been questioned

Red Bull have been running well at Suzuka

Verstappen aims to regain dominance at Suzuka

The high-speed corners have been a happy hunting ground for Red Bull, and Verstappen is confident the car will be a force to be reckoned with this weekend in Japan.

He even said that he found Suzuka 'intimidating' the first time he raced around the track, saying: “It’s quite intimidating, I think, the first time you actually drive around the track. That’s how I found it. It probably doesn’t help [that] it was also [my] first time driving a proper F1 car around here.”

He added: "I think if you look at Melbourne performance-wise, I think we were quick, but we didn't finish the race.

"So that's not ideal, but our car normally likes the higher-speed corners, so hopefully we can show that again this weekend."

The Dutchman's optimism is well-founded. He topped both Friday's opening practice session and Saturday's FP3 and even secured pole position in qualifying with a time of 1:28.197s.

Team-mate Sergio Perez also joins him on the front row, and it remains to be seen whether they could replicate their Bahrain and Saudi Arabia 1-2 finishes.

Red Bull Max Verstappen Lewis Hamilton Charles Leclerc Carlos Sainz Suzuka