Verstappen says grid penalty at Monza is a lot worse than people think

Max Verstappen denies that Monza is the circuit where a grid penalty can be relatively beneficial. According to the Dutchman, it is difficult to make up places on the Italian circuit. Lewis Hamilton will have a hard time if Verstappen is right.

The Red Bull Racing driver goes into the Italian GP at Monza looking for his eleventh win of the season and his fifth in a row. Never before has the Dutchman had such a good chance of winning the Italian Grand Prix. The circuit is nicknamed The Temple of Speed for a reason, and that's exactly what Red Bull have lacked from the competition in previous years. This year, Red Bull is fast on the straights, so Verstappen may be able to disappoint the Italian Ferrari fans at their home race and go for his own first win at Monza.

Verstappen contradicts the rest

Hamilton is unlikely to bother Verstappen in the upcoming race. At the Dutch Grand Prix, the Briton still looked the biggest challenger for victory, but with his grid penalty this weekend, it seems hopeless he will be fighting for a win again. Verstappen is quoted by Verstappen.com: "We never had a good top speed, so it was never going to be a good weekend at Monza. I've also had a few technical problems here or we've had grid penalties from engine changes; then it's never going to be great. With the speed we have now on the straights, it could be a very different weekend for us."

According to Verstappen, it will 'never be great' at Monza as long as you have grid penalties. Hamilton is in for a treat. Verstappen continued: "Last year it was almost impossible for me to pass competitors because of the top speed of others. So it also depends on how your car is. You can set your car up for a higher top speed or more for cornering. With the current cars, overtaking will probably be a little easier, but if you are in a DRS train, you can't do much."