Max Verstappen believes Mercedes are “too quick” to catch in the Monaco Grand Prix but is hopeful he can beat the Ferrari drivers.
The Red Bull racer split the Mercedes pair in first practice but had to sit out part of the second session after his car suffered damage. However he believes his car has more potential than the afternoon session showed.“I think we are still quick,” said Verstappen. “In the second practice, when everybody went onto their second set, we had a radiator leak because some debris flew into the airbox and damaged one of the radiators so we had to replace it. In general it’s alright.”
Mercedes were over seven-tenths of a second ahead of the next-quickest car at the end of Friday’s running. “I think Mercedes is too quick,” he admitted. “But the big gap in between second and third, we should fill that up.”
After he returned to the track Verstappen was heard complaining about his car’s balance. He explained this was because “we did a set-up change while changing the radiator to see if that works or not.
“It didn’t work but I know that if we go back to the other set-up it’s not too bad.”
“The balance is OK,” he added. “They only broadcast, of course, the negative things at the end. But in general it was alright. Of course you try different things in practice. Some work, some don’t so it’s alright.
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Chaitanya
23rd May 2019, 16:53
I hope Max can keep his streak of outscoring atleast 1 ferrari this weekend as well.
Nikki (@nikkit)
23rd May 2019, 17:46
Honestly, I think he has a fair to good chance of outscoring both Ferraris this weekend
Jason Blankenship (@jblank)
23rd May 2019, 17:47
I hope both Mercs wreck or blow engines so we can get a fun, competitive race.
Jonathan Parkin
23rd May 2019, 17:51
And the Ferrari’s and the Red Bulls so we can have a shock result
anon
23rd May 2019, 18:55
@jblank, you know, for a poster who claims that they want to see competitive racing, you show surprisingly little interest in any of the other teams. None of your posts are ever in a positive frame of hoping for driver X or team Y to do well, or even seem to acknowledge that there are any other teams on the grid – you only ever seem to be able to define yourself in terms of opposition to Mercedes, to the point where it seems to be a compulsive obsession.
It’s a strange thing that, if there was a Mercedes double DNF, I honestly wonder whether you would then be left with an empty sense of “now what?” – there seems to be nothing else to your identity, and seemingly no idea what “a fun, competitive race” would actually be.
Jason Blankenship (@jblank)
23rd May 2019, 20:34
That’s because I don’t have a favorite driver or team anymore. I was an Alonso and McLaren fan, now, I like multiple teams. I’m a realist, should I root for someone to finish 9th, I mean we know the results pretty much. Yes, I absolutely have disdain for the Merc team because their domination is bad for the sport, bad for racing.
If they both fall out, I’d be perfectly fine with ANYONE else winning. No, I’d be happy because it would be a situation where the unpredictable can happen. Imagine a Leclerc or Gasly win, imagine a Haas on a podium, right now, only a Leclerc win is possible, and it sucks that we have to hope for bad luck or mistakes to get competition. Had the FIA stayed with V8’s that were normally aspirated, it’s my opinion that we would have more teams on the grid and a better and more even product on the track.
Does that help you out, “anon”?
Jason Blankenship (@jblank)
23rd May 2019, 20:36
I love the sport, I want it to be better. The same driver winning every championship and same team winning every championship is boring. It is boring in Football, it is boring in Baseball, it is boring in Basketball, domination and a lack of parity turns viewers away and causes apathy.
Why on Earth wanting a more level playing field and closer racing is thought of as a bad thing is beyond me. I guess we can tell who the Merc fans are though.
Rich
23rd May 2019, 21:53
The problem is you’re not asking the other teams to do better, but rather you are hoping that a good team has misfortune. Is that what you expect when you go out for dinner, that the top restaurant burns your food so that they can be compared to bad ones. Merc is doing well for the time being, but it wasn’t always that way for them. Other really good teams got it wrong, we all hope they get it straightened out, and that they do better, but not for the best teams to do worse. That’s not racing at the highest level, that is compromise for the sake of fan satisfaction.
Jason Blankenship (@jblank)
23rd May 2019, 23:39
The current rules have produced this and I’m not sure others can get closer. I certainly wish they could but I’m skeptical. I think the FIA are pleased as punch to have the golden boy win every championship.
NS Biker (@rekibsn)
23rd May 2019, 17:56
More likely that the two Ferraris will take each other out and combined with a Safety Car period mid-race, we could see a grand mix-up.
Mercedes seem to have a handle on the chassis, the tyres, as well as cast-iron reliability. Not to mention a top notch pair of drivers. Another 1-2 is as safe a bet as any.
Some rain (Saturday or Sunday) just might give you what you want. Yes, it would be great.
Jason Blankenship (@jblank)
23rd May 2019, 20:37
Exactly! Finally another person that appreciates unpredictability.
Rockgod (@rockgod)
24th May 2019, 1:27
The difference is that @rekibsn doesn’t wish certain drivers to crash and burn in the name of unpredictability like you do in most of your comments.
Jason Blankenship (@jblank)
24th May 2019, 13:12
Hey whatever it takes for there to be some close racing. Don’t like my posts? Ignore them.
ColdFly (@)
23rd May 2019, 22:00
I’ll put all my money on Panis ;)
charlier
24th May 2019, 9:22
Nah, he’s too busy schooling coronel.
JohnH (@johnrkh)
23rd May 2019, 22:36
It would be good to see Verstappen take it up to the Mercs, maybe RB can find a little extra. I do expect some good racing between RB and Ferrari.
NS Biker (@rekibsn)
24th May 2019, 2:33
We can hope that Max pulls a surprise, but the reality is that qualifying is not just important, it is Critically Important.
If Max can’t usurp the Mercs on Saturday, without the benefit of some unexpected turn, the main event will be a bit processional. Hopefully he can stay clear of the Ferraris.
Getting the top 5 pics right for the Predictions Championships is going to require something special. Something very special.
Oh Panis … where did you go.??
Jon (@johns23)
24th May 2019, 7:23
Should be interesting, but being Monaco we always get out hopes up.
Adub Smallblock
24th May 2019, 3:10
Jason Blankenship: The current rules did not “produce this”. Mercedes superior engineering solutions to the rules, and superior execution have resulted in their domination.
Jason Blankenship (@jblank)
24th May 2019, 13:12
Yeah, you keep telling yourself that.
charlier
24th May 2019, 9:23
A lot of ‘hope’ max splitting or beating both FERs, but if he wouldn’t, it’s downright poor.