Verstappen: I’m not going to alter my strategy.
Red Bull not fast enough for Canada GP victory
Dr. Helmut Marko has practically dismissed the chance of Max Verstappen winning in Canada. This comes at a crucial time for the Dutch driver and Red Bull, as Verstappen has already written off his chances after Barcelona and is close to facing a race ban. Additionally, there are still speculations about the 27-year-old potentially switching to Mercedes or Aston Martin. Verstappen even noted seeing Red Bull’s former designer Adrian Newey wearing Aston Martin gear on the Monaco grid recently.
"It brought back memories of his time with us when I saw him in the garage," remarked the four-time world champion. "There's really no point in dwelling on it now. Adrian is no longer part of our team. Seeing him in green is different, but I’m happy for him. I’m eager to see how they perform next year when he’s fully engaged with the new regulations."
Interestingly, Verstappen appears unconcerned about the possibility of a race ban, despite Marko calling the notion of the team’s star driver missing the race in Austria "catastrophic."
"I can’t just shy away from every duel," Verstappen stated. "I race how I want to race and I’m not altering my approach. I have confidence in myself." He also mentioned that making a public apology after seemingly colliding intentionally with George Russell in Barcelona "wasn’t difficult or anything."
Regarding Russell, he humorously suggested that Verstappen might "drive even more aggressively so he can have a weekend off at home." In fact, Verstappen had left Barcelona feeling that he isn’t really competing against the dominant McLarens for the 2025 title. When asked about his chances of winning in Montreal this weekend, Marko conceded: "In terms of speed alone, no. There isn’t much in our favor here." He explained to Kronen Zeitung, "There are no high-speed corners, the kerbs are high – everything our car struggles with in the past. Perhaps the cooler temperatures might help us, and then there’s the notorious Wall of Champions, where even world champions have crashed. There’s always been some chaotic races here."
Former F1 driver Alex Wurz believes Verstappen will still approach the race with the potential for a fifth championship and the desire to avoid a race ban on his mind.
"I think he will definitely keep that in mind," he said. "He’ll be cautious at first, but eventually he'll assert himself and accept the consequences," Wurz smiled.
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