Verstappen clear: "If you want to win, you need to be on the front row"
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- GPblog.com
According to Max Verstappen the changes to the tenth corner of the circuit in Barcelona have advantages and disadvantages. The Dutchman thinks it will be more fun to drive, but he doesn't expect it to add to the spectacle on Sunday. The Red Bull Racing driver also states that a good qualifying in Spain is very important for the chances of a Grand Prix victory.
"To drive it does, it's more fun. You can go faster into the corner. It's a bit rounder, that hairpin was a bit tight and not fun in a Formula 1 car because the traction is always bad there. For overtaking it is of course less," said Verstappen in conversation with Ziggo Sport about turn 10. The eleven-time Grand Prix winner did try in the second free practice to see if something is possible. "I tried in the long run, but you can't brake anyone out because you brake so late already."
F1 qualifying very important
Red Bull and Mercedes once again don't seem to be in each other's way and so it will come down to thousandths or hundredths of a second in qualifying. Verstappen hopes it falls the right way for him. "If you want to win here, you have to be on the front row. Although of course I've won from fourth place before," he is referring to his first ever F1 win in 2016. "Back then, though, I needed the luck of the first two to bounce off. In general, with these cars you really need to be up front."
Over the past four seasons, the win went to Lewis Hamilton at the Spanish GP each time. Three times the British driver has started from pole. The other time it was Valtteri Bottas who set the fastest time on Saturday, but then Hamilton proved the better of the two a day later.