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Verstappen ready for Imola: 'Of course I would have liked to have slept more'
- Ludo van Denderen
A few hours before Max Verstappen will start in the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, the Red Bull Racing driver reported to the Imola circuit. There was no sign of small eyes, although the world champion has already had busy days. After grabbing pole on Saturday for the race this Sunday, Verstappen returned to his hotel to do some stints in the virtual 24 Hours of Nürburgring. That's over for Verstappen, and now, the focus is on the Grand Prix.
At the Drivers Parade, held before each Grand Prix, Verstappen said he had had enough sleep: "Seven hours," he said cheerfully. "I would prefer to sleep more, but on a race weekend, seven hours is absolutely fine."
The Nürburgring 24 Hours was still in full swing at the time of the Drivers Parade. On his own performance in it, Verstappen said, "The stints were good, it's still an hour and 45 minutes to go. We are still leading. My teammates are still driving. I try to follow it as best as I can. But it's a lot of fun. We are in Europe and when I can, I try to race. I can bring my own sim."
Verstappen expects exciting battle in Imola
Meanwhile, the focus for Verstappen is therefore on the Grand Prix. He will start from pole, but how Red Bull will do on the long runs remains to be seen, according to the Dutchman. "Qualifying was very good, but we don't know much about the long runs because we focused on the balance. I expect nice battles. Probably they [the competition] are a bit more comfortable in what they are doing. But we will see. If the car is fast, I will try to stay in the lead. Of course, the goal is to win, but it will be a battle with several teams. I know McLaren is fast in the race. We just have to try to have a good first lap, and after that, we'll see."