Verstappen and fans want more battle: ‘It’s not always fun to just drive away’

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The 74th World Cup has long since been decided – and triple king Max Verstappen (26) is becoming increasingly relaxed. That was also the case after he missed pole position for the Texas Rodeo on Friday (Sunday from 9 p.m. live on Blick in the ticker).

The Dutchman: “Of course it annoys me that I gave up the best starting position because I crossed the line too far in the last corner!”

Leclerc: Four wins from 20 pole positions

Without this track limit penalty (lap time deleted), Super-Max would have been 0.005 seconds faster than Charles Leclerc (26) in the Ferrari. And when the Monegasque is at the front, nothing has rarely happened: of 20 pole positions so far, he has taken just four of his five wins. In his last ten pole starts alone, the race winner had a different name.

For Verstappen (30 poles and 49 wins so far), starting from the third row is almost a relief: “It’s not always fun to just drive away. I like fighting because that should be our business. Moreover, this is more fun for me and especially for the viewers!” Will Max achieve the 50th victory for the Bulls on the first anniversary of the death of Red Bull founder Didi Mateschitz (†78)?

As Sir Lewis Hamilton (38) once said to SonntagsBlick: “The fans always believe that pole position makes me happy. Okay, this is a reward for a good round. But the only real satisfaction you get is winning a duel in the race.” The Briton greets after 325 races with 104 poles and 103 victories.

An outsider in the front row

In Austin there is real action, at least in the starting laps: will both Ferraris return safely from the first lap? More than 150,000 spectators are present live while the asphalt burns during the 56 laps. With a hot outsider in the front row: Lando Norris (23) in the McLaren-Mercedes. Eleven podium places without a win are enough. Just like Russell (Mercedes), Norris is already driving his 100th Grand Prix.

Hardly any real sensation can be expected from the last four teams in Texas. The best driver in the World Cup seventh-placed Williams-Mercedes is the Thai Alexander Albon (27). A lot is always possible at Alfa-Sauber, but this required outside help (such as in Qatar).

Bottas becomes philosophical

At Haas-Ferrari (with 199-time GP starter Nico Hülkenberg, 36) it usually only works in one lap. And bottom team Alpha Tauri-Honda misses too many opportunities with Yuki Tsunoda (23) and comeback Ricciardo (34).

The long-disillusioned Hinwil hope Valtteri Bottas (34), defeated by the Chinese Zhou in both qualifications in Austin (GP/Sprint), practices self-criticism and even becomes philosophical. “If you don’t get any points, you start to doubt yourself. And even worse: the lack of success eats away at the motivation in your own team!”

PS: Although the Andretti clan is not yet in Formula 1, the Americans’ first GP model drove yesterday in the Toyota wind tunnel in Cologne. The FIA ​​and FOM (Formula One Group) are still discussing the inclusion of an 11th team behind the scenes.

Source : Blick