Red Bull Racing Honda drivers preview the race
Red Bull Racing Honda drivers Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez qualified first and third in todays’ session at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas as Formula 1 racing returned to the United States in front of at least 100,000 fans.
“I’m surprised after qualifying today but I’m of course very happy to be on pole,” said Verstappen. “It hasn’t been the easiest of weekends so far for me, I’ve been chasing the balance quite a bit so to pull that lap together in Q3 was of course really satisfying. I’m really pleased with the performance of the whole Team today and I’m glad we could finally pull it together for the final lap. We improved the balance and I felt a lot more comfortable in the car today compared to yesterday. To show this pace in qualifying is positive for the race tomorrow but I still fully expect it to be tough out there, it’s going to be really warm and very hard on the tires, which will make it more interesting. We just have to focus on ourselves tomorrow, hope for a good clean start and then be as fast as we possibly can.”
Race Preview
Action Sports Today (AST): You finished third the last time we raced in the United States, in 2019. Are you looking forward to being back on track in Austin?
Max Verstappen (MV): It is going to be nice to be back in America. We have always been competitive in the US and have got close to some good results, so it’s about converting that into a win now. We go to every track now knowing that we can fight at least for a podium now, but also a win and that is different to past years. We are focussed on doing the best we can and always trying to win the race and that will be no different in Austin. It will be another close battle this weekend and I am looking forward to that.
AST: What makes Circuit of the Americas such a great racetrack?
MV: The layout of the track at COTA is really cool, the surface being bumpy, because it is built on a swamp, adds to the excitement of the race as well. The first sector is very enjoyable, with a lot of fast corners, especially in qualifying when you go on low fuel. When you are racing going into sector two and the beginning of sector three, there are a lot of different lines you can take, so this track normally creates a lot of action and overtakes. Then away from being a great track, there is always a great atmosphere and a great crowd so that helps.
AST: You had your first show run experience in Dallas on Saturday, did that get you excited for the US Grand Prix?
Sergio Perez: Driving the show run has given me an amazing energy going into this race weekend. We live in such a small bubble during the season and it is easy to forget about what is going on outside because of your focus on your sport. When we hold events like the show run it makes us realize how much we, as Red Bull Racing Honda, mean to people and how much our sport means to them. So many Mexicans and Latinos came out to see me and I loved their support – that has ignited a fire in me for the weekend. My fans mean the world to me, they are so special and so unique so I can’t wait to see more of them in Austin. The crowd brought so much energy in Dallas, they were so enthusiastic, and I just can’t wait to experience that again this weekend. I have really missed the big crowds so there should be an incredible atmosphere. I want to give everyone a great weekend of action in Austin and hopefully repeat the success we had in Turkey last time out.