The Red Bull drivers believe their weakness in qualifying could help their rivals at the Monaco Grand Prix.
Although the team dominated the start of the season and goes into round six undefeated, the RB19’s performance advantage was not as great in qualifying as it was in racing. In the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, on a track with several slow corners where tire warm-up is crucial, Charles Leclerc he put his Ferrari on pole in the sprint race and the Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen predicts this weekend will be “a little harder and closer” than recent races.
“We still have a good car,” he said. “I’m just trying to get the most out of it.
“We know that on one lap it’s usually not our strongest point. Nevertheless, we took quite a few pole positions this year. So anything is still possible, but for sure here in Monaco there can always be a big surprise.
Monaco’s unusual slow-track characteristics may suit other cars better than the RB19, says Verstappen. “It’s just because the corners are so tight and change direction very quickly,” he said. “It’s really a stop-start compared to most tracks, there’s a lot more to put together. It’s a different technique.”
“The corners are so tight, so slow, that sometimes you need a lot of different behavior from the car compared to normal circuits, and also the way you have to drive it,” he added.
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“Sometimes your car works perfectly in these conditions and sometimes it may not be perfect. Of course I prefer (that) I have a fast car on most circuits and maybe not ideal for Monaco. But that’s okay, it’s just one race on the calendar. We want to have a good result, of course I want to win, but if that’s not the case, I just collect points.
Ferrari locked out the front row for this race last year. Verstappen called Leclerc a likely pole position threat but added: “Carlos is also very useful here.”
“I also think Aston Martins are quite good at low speeds and overall,” he added. “They weren’t as efficient on the straights, so I think they could be close here.”
Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perezlast year’s race winner also suspects Red Bull will face stronger competition this weekend.
“We certainly know that this is not our strongest track, that we will fight to show our strengths,” he said. “But it’s still Monaco.
“I think on Saturday you really need a good warm-up for your tires, that’s definitely the key here. All I have to say is that it’s not our strongest track, but we’ll see. It’s still Monaco and anything can happen.
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