Max Verstappen was able get close to the Mercedes on the circuit of Mugello, but there was one part of the track where the Red Bull was even structurally faster. That was the third sector, not unimportant if you want to overtake on the straight during the race.
"Yeah, we've been pretty good there all weekend," says Verstappen at the press conference after qualifying. "It's actually only two corners, so 12 and 15, I think, so the car wasn't too bad and for the straights we have a bit less wing compared to some other cars, I think."
Verstappen benefits from recent Mugello visit
Verstappen hopes to keep up with Mercedes in the other two sectors. "That will be the key to overtaking." The fact that Verstappen and Red Bull have chosen to adjust the car in this way is no coincidence. Verstappen had already thought of this when he visited the circuit a few weeks ago.
"Of course I wasn't driving around for fun, I was already figuring out how to adjust the car. By driving on the track, I got a good idea of how to adjust the wings and stiffness of the car for the Grand Prix. When we started this weekend, I benefited from that: we actually had the right balance right from the start."