Verstappen believes in first victory in Italy: 'We are competitive'

Max Verstappen is preparing for the Italian Grand Prix. The Dutchman is confident that his RB18 will also perform well at the Monza circuit and hopes for a first victory in Italy.

The Italian Grand Prix has not been a race weekend that Verstappen went to as the big favourite over the years. For years Mercedes was dominant and even in recent years with Red Bull becoming more competitive, the Austrian team never had the car to perform on a circuit with so many straights. Things will be different in 2022.

Verstappen on the hunt for victory

''I’m really looking forward to Monza. If you look at the year so far, we have been quick on the straights and I think it’s going to be the same around this weekend. There’s a lot of history there as well, it’s an amazing track with an incredible atmosphere'', Verstappen noted in Red Bull Racing's press release.

Whereas Verstappen had the Orange Army behind him at the last races, the Tifosi will be very supportive of Ferrari in Monza. ''You only need to look at their support of Ferrari to see how passionate the Italian fans are for racing. I always enjoy driving at Monza, I think we can be competitive there and I hope for a good result,'' concluded Verstappen, who achieved his best result in Italy in 2018 with a fifth place.