Verstappen finds full calendar no problem: "I do what I love"

Also for Max Verstappen the season starts next week in Spielberg. The driver of Red Bull Racing has high expectations for the first two Grands Prix in Austria, as he won the race at the Red Bull Ring in the past two years. However, this year is going to be different. In 2018 and 2019 the Dutchman was greatly encouraged by thousands of Dutch fans. They will be missing next week.

According to Verstappen it doesn't matter much to him in qualifying, but the atmosphere will really be different. "If I'm in the car and it's the start of qualifying, for example, then I'm in my focus. I don't need the fans for that. But when I look at the empty stands next week, I'm going to get the impression that it's some kind of test day", the Dutchman says in an interview with Speedweek.

"It'll be different than usual, but I still want to perform well for the fans. Even if they are not in Spielberg, they will still be watching on television". Because there have been no races in the last three months, F1 will catch up in the coming months. In the next ten weeks there will be eight races. That is no problem for Verstappen itself.

"I don't think that means more pressure for me, because I do what I love". However, Verstappen does expect that it will cost a lot for team members. "We'll stay longer on the road and of course we're not allowed to go home in between. This will be especially difficult for team members with families", says Verstappen.