Verstappen explained: 'Getting used to that is always a challenge'

Max Verstappen could take his third win of the season in a row in Melbourne next weekend. The Dutchman will have fond memories of the Albert Park Street Circuit, as this is where he made his debut in Formula 1. At 17, he made he first drove an F1 car in Australia for Toro Rosso.

The Red Bull driver sees differences on the track compared to the previous two races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. "We are looking forward to racing in Melbourne this week. It is a very fast track layout now, which requires a good mix of getting straight line speed as well as decent grip in the corners, so it’s all about finding that middle ground."

Verstappen is enthusiastic

"The recent resurfacing has made the track a lot smoother and fun to drive too, so we are looking forward to that. We also have softer compounds compared to last year, which will make it a bit more tricky for strategy, but hopefully means it is better for racing with more pit stops. Getting used to the jet lag is always a challenge down under, but it is always great to be in Melbourne regardless and amazing to see all the passionate racing fans coming to support!", Verstappen said ahead of the race weekend.

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko already said he is optimistic for the upcoming weekend in Australia. When asked whether Red Bull Racing can win all 24 races, Marko did not want to go into too much detail. He thought it was a tricky question, considering only two races have been run this season.