Verstappen: Albert Park is a tough track to overtake on

Max Verstappen is looking forward to the season opener in Melbourne but believes that Albert Park is not the easiest track to overtake on.

Verstappen finished fifth in 2017’s Australian Grand Prix and will be looking for a good start to the 2018 season.

The 20-year old said: “I always enjoy going to Melbourne, I like the country and the temperature which is always a welcome change to Europe at this time of year.

“The fans are very passionate about racing and especially Formula One as it has a great history in Australia.

“Albert Park is not the easiest track to overtake on, we will try out best but the straights are not quite long enough and a lot of the corners leading to the straights are 90 degrees, this makes it hard to set up a pass.

“Turns 11 and 12 are the fastest corners and really cool to drive, especially in qualifying with low fuel in sixth or seventh gear.

“The trees around the circuit sometimes make your braking sports hard to spot with shadows, it’s quite normal on a street circuit but it makes it more challenging for us to get it right.

“We are hoping to have made a large step forward this year and be competitive from the start, to have a fast car from race one and continue for the rest of the season would be great.”