Verstappen: 'Don't expect massive changes due to banned party mode'

No differences on Sunday

Excluding party mode can have both large and small consequences, but given that it is an unknown area, making estimates is very difficult. When asked about this in an online press moment with Red Bull, the Dutchman said he didn't expect much difference. "Personally, I don't think the gap is going to get any bigger on Sunday, but it's not going to get any smaller either. Everyone suddenly thinks that Mercedes will lose half a second, but of course that's not the case either."

On Saturday, during qualifying, that may of course turn out somewhat differently, but that depends on an awful lot of factors. "We can see how things stand here, I find that difficult to say. The first thing you have to do every weekend is find a good balance in the car and drive a good lap yourself in Q3. There are so many factors in advance, which are difficult to fill in from how big the gap will be, but there will certainly be a gap. Absolutely."

Normal mode in the race

The same question was asked Verstappen in a slightly different context by Will Buxton of Formula1.com and here the Dutchman says: "The gaps will remain as they were, I think. It's not something magical going on. Of course the qualifying mode has been banned, but in the race you still drive in normal mode."

That does not mean, however, that no changes can be seen: "Maybe we are a bit closer to it in qualifying, but you never know. Maybe in the last few races they [Mercedes] left a bit of power behind for the life of the engine, which they now have to use. But I do not expect it to change massively".