At the official press conference ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix, Max Verstappen praises his home country and the iconic event
Ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix, Max Verstappen clearly stands by the race in the Principality. Despite ongoing criticism, the four-time world champion emphasizes: “It’s actually always been this way.”
“But 15 years ago, there was no social media,” the Red Bull driver explains at Thursday’s official press conference. “Now anyone with a cell phone or laptop can complain online, whereas before you could only complain at home or to your family. These days, people write more about it, whereas in the past they just complained at home.”
When asked whether Verstappen is looking forward to driving the new cars on the street circuit and whether this could be their best performance yet, the 28-year-old replies:
“Maybe. I think it’ll probably be a bit better because of the [narrower tires], and at low speeds they’re a bit more agile. But at the same time, drivability comes into play here. And I think that’s a step down compared to last year’s cars.“
When asked if Verstappen is looking forward to Saturday’s qualifying session, the Red Bull driver responds as follows: ”It’s still a highlight of the weekend, especially when you really have to deliver. We’ll of course try to give it our best shot.“
At the press conference, Verstappen also emphasizes that he has another, much more personal connection to Monaco: ”Monaco is my home,“ he explains.
”That overshadows everything about the race itself. I love living here. It’s really safe, the people are friendly, and it’s good for kids. Honestly, the Grand Prix is just a bonus.“
”Of course, it’s always a crazy weekend, and I enjoy it. A bit hectic, but at the same time really great. My first memory here? I hit my head against a guardrail. Probably not the nicest memory, but it’s really cool to race here.”
“This is where I drove in Formula 1 for the first time,” says Verstappen. “That was a huge step right off the bat.”
Esteban Ocon and Alexander Albon have a similar take on the Monaco race weekend. Ocon explains, for example: “I watched a video of Lewis looking back on the first Monaco Grand Prix. It’s almost the same layout, even with the changes to the city. We know how things work here; it’s always been this way.”
“Overtaking has never been easy here,” Ocon continues. “And if someone overtakes here, they’re a god. If they crash, it’s a disaster, but at least they tried.”
“You approach the weekend completely differently. You really have to give 100 percent. You always have to do that, but [here] it’s even more important.”
In summary, Ocon emphasizes: “That’s the beauty of Monaco, period. That’s the beauty of Formula 1. It’s a different kind of compromise than usual.”
Albon agrees with his colleague and adds: “As long as people accept it for what it is, not every race has to be all about Sunday.”
“The way the weekends build up to Saturday and qualifying is quite nice. Hopefully, some things could be changed in the future to make overtaking on the track easier.”
“But as in any sport, whether it’s tennis tournaments with different conditions or whatever, there will always be one event that really stands out. And I think—at least as a driver, I believe—that’s exactly what we see on Saturday. That’s what makes Monaco so special.”
