Max Verstappen hoping to end Monza struggles at Italian GP

Formula One champion Max Verstappen is feeling unusually optimistic about his chances to finally get a good result at the Italian Grand Prix.

Monza is the only circuit where Verstappen has never even finished on the podium, with the Red Bull drivers best result being fifth in 2018.

Verstappen did not even manage to finish the past two editions of the Italian GP at all, with his retirement last year coming after a spectacular crash with title rival Lewis Hamilton, who was also forced to abandon the race.

However, the Dutch driver will take to the track on Sunday on the back of four straight wins and with his Red Bull having had a superior straight-line speed all season, which is crucial on one of F1s fastest tracks.

“Weve always been slow on the straights, so then its normal when you get here that its never going to be a good weekend,” Verstappen said when asked about his previous problems at Monza. “And besides that, you know, a few technical issues as well around this track and we always had to take engine penalties around here as well. So naturally, its never going to be amazing. “But now I think with straight-line speed, it can be a completely different weekend for us.” Verstappens dominant performances have seen the championship leader build a 109-point advantage over Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc and teammate Sergio Pérez, with just seven races remaining.

Last year he led Hamilton by just three points heading into the Italian GP.

“Im always relaxed,” Verstappen said. “Even last year, you know, when the lead wasnt that big, I think we always felt good and confident. But of course, with the lead we have now, yeah its nice and its great, but we still want to win more races.” Verstappen won in front of his home fans at the Dutch GP on Sunday and Ferrari will be hoping its passionate red-clad tifosi equally have something to celebrate this weekend on its home track.

Leclerc was on the top step of Monzas iconic podium in 2019 but that was Ferraris only success since 2010 and hes not expecting to repeat that this year, especially after another error-strewn showing from the team at Zandvoort.

“On paper at least, it looks like a difficult weekend,” Leclerc said. “We expect Red Bull to be stronger, the track characteristics doesnt fit exactly our car but weve had some good and bad surprises this year so hopefully this is one of the good ones and we overperform compared to what we expect.

“Comparing to Red Bull specially we are slower down the straights. Their main strength this year is straight-line speed, we seem to be a bit quicker in the corners. At tracks like here, its not enough to gain back the advantage that they have on the straights.” AP SSCSSC

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