(Motorsport-Total.com) – When Max Verstappen was asked during the Dutch media round in Monza whether he now fears that he might not win a single race this Formula 1 season – which would be the first time since his debut year in 2015 – a telling answer followed: “Of course, I would never say something like that out loud.”
Read more Fernando Alonso: Maybe I’ll drive for Aston Martin in the WEC in 2027
Last year, however, Verstappen actually made this statement – and apparently it worked. After this statement, the Red Bull driver finished on the podium at every Grand Prix in the second half of the season and missed his fifth consecutive world championship by a mere two points at the end.
Verstappen knows better than anyone else that the situation this year is completely different and a turnaround seems almost impossible. A complete season without a single win – for the first time in more than a decade – is therefore a realistic scenario.
“Every time I sit in the car, I get the maximum out of it. If the chance arises to win a race, of course I will put everything on the line,” he says. “But as things stand at the moment, that chance is not very big.”
A new race track naturally brings additional question marks. The focus quickly turns to exceptional drivers like Verstappen, Fernando Alonso, or Lewis Hamilton, who can adapt extremely quickly and gain a competitive advantage from it.
“You still need a fast car”
However, Verstappen doubts whether he can achieve anything special around the IFEMA complex in Madrid – even if the circuit is described as a race track where the driver can have more influence than, for example, in Monza.
“I mean, you can write the story as nicely as you want, right? Driver track or not: At the end of the day, you still need a fast car in Formula 1.”
The last 20 winners on new Formula 1 tracks
This applies not only to the Madring but to Verstappen’s entire season. The Dutchman is convinced that he is driving at an extremely high level, but this is simply not reflected in the results: “As a driver, I feel good this year, but I just don’t win races. Does that mean I’m a bad driver or not fast enough? I hardly think so.”
“It’s not like you suddenly perform much better just because this is more of a driver track than Monza or elsewhere,” says the Dutchman.
Verstappen: Madring can be dangerous
In the run-up to the first Grand Prix at the Madring, many discussions revolved around the dangers of the circuit. The Formula 3 test produced no less than 19 red flags, while Williams team principal James Vowles called the newest calendar addition a real “material destroyer.”
Read more «The app has crashed»: Antonelli experiences flood of messages after Monza win
When asked if the Madring is really that dangerous, Verstappen answers: “Well, it could be. In some places, even a tiny slide can end in a crash. But I mean: Jeddah is the same, and we’ve talked about that in the past.”
“You have to deal with it and try to explore the limits to keep the car under control. But of course: when you’re at the absolute limit, a small mistake happens extremely quickly.”
Verstappen does not mention Jeddah without reason. From his point of view, it is the most fitting comparison to the Madring – another street circuit where every driving error is mercilessly punished: “In terms of driving feel: yes. Of course, there are significantly more slow corners here, but the overall feeling is quite similar, yes.”
Walls comparable to Jeddah
Red Bull reserve driver and temporary teammate Liam Lawson draws the same comparison – especially because of the many blind corners that characterize both circuits: “The way these street circuits are built, the walls simply follow the track layout, which severely limits visibility in many places,” the New Zealander explained on Thursday.
“There are many fast, flowing sections behind which chicanes hide that you cannot see beforehand. Jeddah has even more of those than this circuit, but in a way, it’s comparable.”
Many sections of the Madring could be a trap for the drivers, but the chicane from turns 5 and 6 stands out as one of the trickiest: “If you clear the first curb too hard, the car is catapulted over the second curb – and from there directly into the wall. It’s extremely difficult to stay precise in such a passage,” Lawson admits.
New Formula 1 tracks since 2000
“I’ve seen many videos of Formula 3 cars that fully rumbled over both curbs and either made it through or didn’t. It’s definitely a tricky spot. The braking zone is also not straight, so it will be damn hard to hit the braking point without locking the wheels.”
Finally, Lawson does not believe that the drivers in Madrid can go to the absolute limit without being held back by the limits of the 2026 generation power units.
“Not like in Monaco, no. Monaco is a circuit where we can push fully and have no restrictions. I would say it will be different here – but I still think that here, more than in Monza, the driver can make the difference.”
Read more Leclerc accepts blame for Monza with Hamilton: «I went too far»