Damage to Verstappen has a big impact: 'Can cost you a second a lap'
F1 News
- GPblog.com
Max Verstappen had to work with an incomplete car, thanks to the crash of Valtteri Bottas and its consequences for the rest of the race. The Dutchman was able to overtake cars in the middle of the pack and finished in tenth place.
In his Q/A on the YouTube channel of ZiggoSport Robert Doornbos says that it really does make a difference when you are missing such a small part of your car.
"Then you see that such a piece from the floor has a lot of impact. The new people who haven't been watching Formula 1 for so long will think: what a difference that will make. Well, it really makes a big difference. Formula 1 is all about aerodynamics, that's what the cars are built on. And if you miss one of those flaps, especially in dry conditions, it can cost you half a second or more per lap.
Verstappen fought for a point
According to Doornbos, it's a small miracle that he managed to drive his car into the top ten. After all, he was not helped by the conditions.
"The track dried up quickly, so for Max that was a very long afternoon. He also had a lot of trouble overtaking a lot of lesser cars. That indicated he had oversteer and understeer. Zero balance. It's a world achievement in itself that he managed to keep his cool and get a point. This was the point he had to work hardest for in his career ever."
Verstappen will not go into the summer break as leader of the championship thanks to the last two races. He will be looking to regain that spot at the end of this month in Belgium when the second half of the season begins.