Max Verstappen is pinning his hopes on a repeat of last year’s rain to help Red Bull fight for victory at this weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos.
The Dutchman heads to Sao Paulo on quite the run of momentum with four top four finishes in a row including two wins in Malaysia and last time out in Mexico as the Milton Keynes outfit continue their strong end to 2017.
Now Verstappen heads to the circuit where he produced his greatest performance in Formula 1 to date 12 months ago, passing nine cars in the final 14 laps to reclaim third place, and hopes for the opportunity to show his wet-weather prowess again.
“We are looking for another strong performance at Interlagos following a really fun race in the wet last year,” he said. “I really enjoyed 2016, there were some great battles and overtakes which resulted in a hard-earned podium. I also had a big moment near pit lane entry, which was a close call, I managed to save it and carry on to achieve a good result.
“As you would expect I’m hoping for another damp race weekend as I don’t think we can be as competitive there in the dry, especially with the elevation changes on the straight, it is not our strongest point.”
Team Principal Christian Horner is more optimistic about Red Bull’s chances in all conditions and does think a fourth win of the year is possible over the final two rounds.
“The last four races we have had the quickest car on a Sunday,” he claimed. “Hopefully Brazil can be a good track for us and why not Abu Dhabi? It would be great to finish the season with at least one more victory.”
This weekend signifies the last of the great historic races on the calendar, as F1 has been going to Interlagos in its various forms since 1972 and racing on the shorter yet still highly challenging layout since 1991, after initially leaving 10 years prior and moving to Rio de Janiero.
“Being such a narrow starting grid you often end up really close to the grandstand which is a pretty unique and exciting experience,” Verstappen commented on racing at the iconic venue.
“The Brazilian fans are so passionate and vocal so it is always special to feel the atmosphere from the crowd before the start. I think the history of F1 in Brazil means it has a massive following and this is clear to see across the race weekend.”
