Verstappen: I'm glad Sergio is returning to Formula 1.

      Max Verstappen has come to terms with the fact that he can no longer contend for the title this year, but that does not mean he has lost motivation. According to the four-time world champion, he is still interested in finding ways to improve in the remaining races of the season.

      Max Verstappen: "You just have to try to get through them as best as possible. In every race we try to understand whether there are any opportunities to learn something new about our car. Of course, next year the car will be completely different, but I'm still very interested in getting to grips with the RB21 and understanding how and by what we can gain a little performance to make things easier for ourselves.

      I hope that at Zandvoort our car will work more effectively than it did at the Hungaroring. The previous weekend didn't go very well for us, but I expect that now we can get closer to the leaders. Although I don't think Zandvoort is the best fit for us among the remaining tracks.

      We should do a bit better where there are more high-speed corners, because we start to have difficulties on the slow and medium-speed sections. However, it's worth keeping in mind that the weather can still change, and that always introduces an element of chaos. So, we'll see what awaits us."

      When Verstappen was asked if he still had any hopes of getting back into the title fight, he replied quite categorically: "Actually, no."

      Max brightened noticeably, however, when answering a question about the prospects of Sergio Pérez, his former teammate, at Cadillac F1, the new team that will debut in the championship next year.

      "As soon as the news about this team's lineup appeared, I immediately sent Sergio a message," Verstappen said. "Of course, I'm very happy that he got a seat at Cadillac — he's a great guy, and we always got on very well. I'm glad he's returning to Formula 1, but it's clear that his results will depend on what the car is capable of. It's hard to judge that at the moment.

      In any case, new opportunities are opening up for him, and I have no doubt that all of this genuinely excites him."

      It's also worth quoting Max's comment about Alex Palou, the four-time IndyCar champion, since rumors have surfaced (albeit unconfirmed) that the Spanish driver is attracting interest from Red Bull:

      "I've known Alex since our karting days, and he's achieving incredible success in IndyCar. But it's impossible to predict what he might achieve in F1. Just as there's no point in speculating about what a Formula 1 driver might achieve in IndyCar — in my opinion, it's a waste of time. I'm just happy for him, because things are going great for him in IndyCar, and there he dominates."