formula 1
Verstappen ahead of Monaco spectacle: “Don’t expect miracles”
World champion Max Verstappen starts the race in Monaco modestly. Photo
© Luca Bruno/AP/dpa
Things are not going well for Max Verstappen in Monaco. While World Championship rival Charles Leclerc is allowed to start from pole position in his home race, the Dutchman has to work his way forward.
After the botched qualification, Formula 1 World Champion Max Verstappen modestly prepares for the Monaco Grand Prix. “Things can happen in Monaco that you don’t expect and you should never say never, but we’re not expecting miracles,” said the Red Bull star. Sixth place on the grid is a bad starting position for the race in the principality, where overtaking is traditionally an almost impossible task due to the wide cars and narrow track.
“It was not a good weekend for the team in general. We tried a lot of changes in the last few days, but nothing helped to improve the performance of the car,” said the Dutchman Verstappen. Teammate Sergio Pérez had even more problems, finishing only 18th and thus falling far short of his own expectations. “We cannot hope for much in the race because the chances of overtaking are almost zero,” said the Mexican.
While the world champion racing team is unable to get the cars set up properly, world championship runner-up Charles Leclerc can hope for his first victory in almost two years. The Monegasque will start the race from the very front and could win in his home country for the first time ever. “I’m very, very happy with the car and it’s been a really good weekend so far. But we shouldn’t be blinded by pole position,” said the 26-year-old, formulating the triumph on the Côte d’Azur as a clear goal: “Whatever happens, we have to bring this home.”