Verstappen wary of Mercedes updates: 'Gets a bit trickier then'

F1 News

15 July 2021 at 18:22
  • GPblog.com

Max Verstappen will be chasing his fourth consecutive victory at Silverstone, but the Dutchman doesn't think it will be as easy as it was in Austria. Not in the least because Mercedes has taken a number of upgrades with them this weekend.

Concentrating on himself

During the press conference, Mercedes' updates were also discussed. "If those work, of course, they will be closer to us," Verstappen replied soberly to Motorsport.com. "At the end of the day, of course, we just have to concentrate on ourselves. We'll see what the rest do next. We just have to make sure we get the best out of ourselves. That's all you can do."

In any case, the Dutchman is not too worried about Mercedes' upgrades yet. "We're going to see. It's not always the case that if you start driving with the latest parts, you immediately go a lot faster. You also have to find a good set-up and a good balance in the car. There's often still some time to do that."

Updates at Red Bull too

Mercedes is not the only team introducing a number of updates this weekend, Red Bull is also doing so. "With Mercedes, I think it is about some bigger updates, but we are trying to adjust things every weekend this season. So again we have a few dings." Verstappen currently leads the championship by 32 points over rival Lewis Hamilton. The Dutchman has also won five of the nine races this season.

Chances at Silverstone

Verstappen is hesitant to comment on the balance of power between Red Bull and Mercedes. "I don't really have an idea at the moment. We're also working with a slightly different format this weekend, so it will all be slightly different. Of course, I'm assuming we'll be competitive, but where we'll finish is hard to say."

He will not win as easily as he did two weeks ago in Austria this weekend, Verstappen believes. "There everything was just very good for us. Add to that the updates Mercedes has brought and then you can assume it's all going to be a bit trickier. But we will see. There are still so many races to go this year and Mercedes will certainly not give up. We just have to try to finish in front every weekend."