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Verstappen has forgotten touché with Russell (for now): 'Concentrate'

12:14, 30 Apr 2023

byGPblog.com

Max Verstappen had to settle for third place and six points in the sprint race in Azerbaijan on Saturday. Without damage, the Red Bull Racing driver would likely have finished ahead of Charles Leclerc, but the 25-year-old Dutchman will go into the retake today. Ahead of the Grand Prix, Verstappen was briefly asked about his expectations.

"We are allowed to repaire these things [the damage], so hopefully we have a good race. There will be a lot of opportunities. Safety cars, Red flags, so we just have to be on top of everything", said Verstappen, who has now been able to put his frustrations after the heavy touché with George Russell to rest.

Red Bull has replaced the necessary parts to Verstappen's RB19, but this will therefore not incur any penalties for the WC leader. Changes to the set-up mean a start from the pit lane (as for Nico Hulkenberg), but damage as a result of an earlier session may be repaired 'for free'.

Perez looks ahead to GP in Baku

Verstappen's teammate, Sergio Perez, also spoke briefly in the Drivers Parade. "If we don't get the points that we expect then we haven't done a good job because we have a fast car", he said. What exactly the Austrian racing team objective is not known, but the mission of Christian Horner and Helmut Marko seems to be a one-two punch.