Závodní víkend pro něj, stejně jako celá sezona, přitom nezačal podle představ. Verstappenovy dosažené časy během tréninků nebyly dobré a v sobotní kvalifikaci tomu nebylo jinak. Vše se změnilo až v její poslední části a konkrétně v posledním měřeném kole, v němž si zajistil start z pole position.
„Když jsem přijel do Japonska, vůbec mě nenapadlo, že bych zde mohl vyhrát. Tím spíš po pátečních trénincích,“ prozradil Verstappen po závodě. „Nejdůležitější bylo startovat z prvního místa, protože i když si myslím, že piloti McLarenu byli opět rychlejší, tak se nedokázali dostat do DRS zóny a zaútočit.“
Verstappenův nový týmový kolega Júki Cunoda ve stejném monopostu dojel až na nebodovaném 12. místě. Dalo by se tedy říct, že výhra byla především zásluhou pilota a řízení.
„Jsem šťastný z toho, co dělám a jak se mi daří. Ani nechci myslet na to, jak by závod vypadal, kdybych jel v tom druhém voze (myšleno McLarenu). To byste mě ani neviděli,“ popíchl Verstappen své soupeře Landa Norrise a Oscara Piastriho, kteří ho v závodě doplnili na pódiu.
Následně ale Verstappen zvážněl a neopomněl vyzdvihnout zásluhy svého týmu, kterému se během víkendu podařilo připravit jeho auto RB21 tak, aby dokázalo vyvinout vyšší rychlost.
„Vždycky je to o týmu, který dokáže dobře spolupracovat. Tento týden jsem měl k ruce kromě GP (Verstappenův závodní inženýr Gianpiero Lambiase, pozn. red.) ještě jednoho výkonnostního inženýra Hugha Birda. S tím jsem pracoval už dřív a pořád si rozumíme a umíme si vyhovět. Před kvalifikací jsme udělali správné kroky. Když si poslechnete naši komunikaci přes vysílačku, uslyšíte, jak snadno s GP komunikujeme. To jsou důležité aspekty závodu,“ chválil Verstappen práci svého týmu.
Bird byl Verstappenovým závodním inženýrem v jeho debutové sezoně v F1 v roce 2014 ve stáji Torro Rosso (dnes Racing Bulls) a později se stal jeho inženýrem výkonu. Od přestupu do Red Bullu spolupracuje Verstappen s Lambiasem. Bird byl do konce loňské sezony závodním inženýrem Sergia Péreze. Od roku 2025 je vedoucím skupiny pro zavěšení kol v Red Bullu.
Přes víkendový úspěch a první vítězství v sezoně ale Verstappen neočekává, že najednou půjde všechno snadno a Red Bull začne dominovat. Naopak se snažil mírnit očekávání před Velkou cenu Bahrajnu, do které vstoupí s mankem jediného bodu na lídra šampionátu Norrise.
„Podařilo se nám dosáhnout skvělého výsledku, ale bylo to na trati, kde je velmi těžké předjíždět. Proto byla velmi důležitá povedená kvalifikace. Neznamená to ale, že se z ničeho nic situace otočí a my začneme vyhrávat všechny závody. Přesto můžeme být na výkon pyšní.“
Formule 1 2025
Letošní sezona seriálu formule 1 začala 16. března Velkou cenou Austrálie a končí 7. prosince v Abú Zabí. Titul mezi jezdci obhajuje Nizozemec Max Verstappen z Red Bullu a mezi stájemi britský McLaren.
This news was originally published on this post .
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