Max Verstappen fears ‘tough’ Monaco GP

Max Verstappen has expressed concerns that this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix will be “one of the more difficult races” for his Red Bull team. The reigning world champion highlighted the challenges posed by the track layout, which tends to expose the weaknesses in Red Bull’s car when it comes to handling bumps and kerbs.

Verstappen’s recent performances have been strong, but he noted that McLaren’s Lando Norris has emerged as a significant contender. Norris secured his first career victory in Miami and followed it up with a close second-place finish in Imola. This competitive edge from McLaren adds to the challenges Red Bull anticipates facing in Monaco.

Verstappen acknowledged the improvements his team has made in their low-speed performance since last year. Despite these advancements, he remains cautious about the difficulties Monaco presents. “Looking at the track layout, it’s probably not going to be our best track,” Verstappen said. “Our car normally struggles a bit over bumps and kerbs.”

“It’s probably not going to be our best track… I don’t think this is going to be a very easy weekend but Monaco never is”

Max Verstappen is preparing for a close fight on the Principality’s streets #F1 #MonacoGP pic.twitter.com/un1aGAJri6

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He pointed out that Ferrari and McLaren would be the teams to watch out for in Monaco. Reflecting on the season so far, Verstappen observed that the competitive gap between teams has narrowed, particularly evident from the races in Miami and Imola.

Verstappen, who won the Monaco Grand Prix last year, anticipates another tough battle this weekend. “After Miami, it was quite clear when we went into Imola that [the gap between teams] had all closed up a bit,” he said. “For sure, Monaco is always like that anyway.”