Verstappen only once from pole: "Would like a bit more front end"

Max Verstappen is the championship leader with 125 points in the world championship, but there are still things that can be improved. Of course the two retirements due to technical problems hurt a lot, but also the balance of the RB18 could be a lot better. Especially in qualifying there is still a lot of room for improvement. That is what the 24-year old Dutchman said in the press conference in Azerbaijan.

Verstappen struggles with his car at times, something technical director Pierre Waché also acknowledges. In that respect, Red Bull still has a challenge ahead of it.

" I definitely see, of course, Checo is a bit more comfortable than last year," said Verstappen, who has a slightly different driving style himself. "I would like a bit more front end, that's what we're working at. I don't say like I'm uncomfortable in the car but these cars are so heavy, and long, and wide that, with increased weight as well, you want a car, which turns better, because it just goes faster around a corner. And you can extract a bit more in qualifying when you really push it

Verstappen in Qualifying

Especially on Saturday, Red Bull seems to be losing out to the Ferraris for now. Five out of seven times the pole position went to Charles Leclerc. Only once was Verstappen allowed to start from first place. That was in Imola, where he did it under his own steam, but needed help from the rain that was falling in Italy at the time.

Yet there is no man overboard, Verstappen stressed. Indeed, the results can be called good. "It's not all very dramatic. I mean, I still won four races. So, that's more than I did last year at this time. So, it's not that bad. It's just fine-tuning little things," he concludes his story.