'Issues we have to solve' – Verstappen concerned by reliability of his Red Bull car

Max Verstappen says Red Bull still have issues to solve if they are to beat Ferrari and Charles Leclerc to Formula One titles this year.

Verstappen is the favourite to defend his F1 championship after winning the Emilia Romagna and Miami GPs, outpacing Leclerc in both races.

However, the Dutchman is concerned about reliability issues after his car suffered a hydraulic leak in Miami on Friday which followed DNFs in Bahrain and Australia. Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez also had engine issues during the race in Miami.

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Verstappen says he and the Red Bull team are working hard to rectify their problems, but admits there are concerns.

“We’re still having a few issues we have to solve,” he said.

“We are quick, but my Friday was terrible… which is not great if you want to have a good weekend.

“And also Checo had a few issues in the race, so we have to be on top of that. But clearly there is a lot of potential, we just need to make sure it’s reliable.

“We have to make sure these things don’t happen… of course, we are working on them flat out.”

Red Bull boss Christian Horner said even with Perez’s issues, the team are heading in the right direction.

“Of course reliability is going to be an issue,” he said.

“We had a sensor issue on Checo’s [Perez] engine and the guys did well to move them around but he lost about 30 horsepower with that. He was losing half a second a lap.

“We saw in Imola how quickly things can change around and we have some interesting races coming up and the car is running well.

“We have some developments coming later in the summer which will help, we need to drop some weight but generally, I think we are on a good trajectory.”

The Spanish Grand Prix gets underway on May 22.

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Hamilton: We haven't taken a step forward yet

Lewis Hamilton bemoaned his sixth-placed finish at the Miami Grand Prix and hinted that his car was damaged early on.

Hamilton started in sixth on the grid after an impressive resurgence from the Mercedes team who have had a miserable start to the campaign.

Alterations to the car’s front and rear wing appeared to have the Mercedes running behind Ferrari and Red Bull but ahead of the rest of the Formula One pack, and Hamilton ended up in sixth, usurped by his teammate George Russell, who finished fifth.

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Russell overtook the seven-time champion towards the end of the race as he benefited from the safety car coming out at just the right time to let him swap over his hard tyres without losing track position.

Hamilton however had more bad luck, as he was clipped in the opening stages when Fernando Alonso brushed wheels with him.

The Briton was insistent that he had incurred damage, though communication from his team claimed that there was no under-performance showing on their data.

Speaking after the race, Hamilton reaffirmed his opinion, saying: “The car definitely didn’t feel the same as it did, I’m sure they’ll check it. It was quite a hard hit but otherwise it will be ok. We’ve got good points as a team today. We’ll take it and move on.”

He also complained that the safety car interrupted his race, and hinted that he expects an improved showing in the next Grand Prix in Spain on May 22.

“In that scenario I have no clue where everyone is, that’s what you rely on the guys for,” he stated.

“It’s just been a bit unfortunate with the safety car. I’m excited to take a step forward, which we haven’t done yet.”

Russell was similarly frustrated, and expects better performances to come.

“It was mixed feelings, based on yesterday it was a good result,” Russell said, given he started from 12th. “We have a fast race car in there, we don’t have the key to unlock it. There’s more to do.

“It’s frustrating but I’m sure we’ll get there at some point.

“It’s good, when you battle with your teammate you show more respect, give more space. I enjoyed it. I think there’s good respect between us. I was pushing as hard as I could.

“I didn’t really like the tarmac, what did I like? I liked that we were in Miami.”

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Hamilton: We haven't taken a step forward yet

Lewis Hamilton bemoaned his sixth-placed finish at the Miami Grand Prix and hinted that his car was damaged early on.

Hamilton started in sixth on the grid after an impressive resurgence from the Mercedes team who have had a miserable start to the campaign.

Alterations to the car’s front and rear wing appeared to have the Mercedes running behind Ferrari and Red Bull but ahead of the rest of the Formula One pack, and Hamilton ended up in sixth, usurped by his teammate George Russell, who finished fifth.

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Russell overtook the seven-time champion towards the end of the race as he benefited from the safety car coming out at just the right time to let him swap over his hard tyres without losing track position.

Hamilton however had more bad luck, as he was clipped in the opening stages when Fernando Alonso brushed wheels with him.

The Briton was insistent that he had incurred damage, though communication from his team claimed that there was no under-performance showing on their data.

Speaking after the race, Hamilton reaffirmed his opinion, saying: “The car definitely didn’t feel the same as it did, I’m sure they’ll check it. It was quite a hard hit but otherwise it will be ok. We’ve got good points as a team today. We’ll take it and move on.”

He also complained that the safety car interrupted his race, and hinted that he expects an improved showing in the next Grand Prix in Spain on May 22.

“In that scenario I have no clue where everyone is, that’s what you rely on the guys for,” he stated.

“It’s just been a bit unfortunate with the safety car. I’m excited to take a step forward, which we haven’t done yet.”

Russell was similarly frustrated, and expects better performances to come.

“It was mixed feelings, based on yesterday it was a good result,” Russell said, given he started from 12th. “We have a fast race car in there, we don’t have the key to unlock it. There’s more to do.

“It’s frustrating but I’m sure we’ll get there at some point.

“It’s good, when you battle with your teammate you show more respect, give more space. I enjoyed it. I think there’s good respect between us. I was pushing as hard as I could.

“I didn’t really like the tarmac, what did I like? I liked that we were in Miami.”

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Victorious Verstappen says 'I'll stick to racing ' after Muhammad Ali comparison

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen said he would stick to Formula One after he was told he would suit boxing due to the strength he showed in winning the Miami Grand Prix.

The current champion battled through an intense, physical and humid race in Florida which saw him push through from third on the grid to ultimately take the lead and control the rest of the race despite a late resurgence from Charles Leclerc.

Speaking to Sky Sports after the race, it was suggested with such physical resilience he would perhaps be a successful boxer like another champion, Muhammad Ali.

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“It was an incredible Grand Prix, very physical as well, but I think we kept it exciting until the end,” Verstappen said.

“I think I’ll stick to racing but I appreciate boxing. I’m incredibly happy winning in Miami. It was an incredible Sunday for us.”

Ferrari’s Leclerc agreed that it was a tough race to have gone through, and suggested that problems with the tyres – which Red Bull noted had started to fray before the first 10 laps were out – held him back.

“It was a very difficult race physically, we struggled with the medium tyres quite a bit in the first stint and got overtaken then,” he acknowledged.

“It made our race a bit more difficult from that moment onwards.”

There was a brief moment of hope for the Monegasque youngster but despite being unable to capitalise, he was optimistic for the rest of the campaign.

“On the hards we were very competitive and in the end I thought I could get Max at one point, but today they had the advantage in terms of pace,” he explained.

“But it was fun. It was amazing to see so many people and so many Ferrari fans in the grandstand.

“We need to keep pushing. Each race will be very important throughout the year. And I hope now we can do a step up, from next race onwards.”

Leclerc leads the championship by 19 points from second-placed Verstappen.

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Victorious Verstappen says 'I'll stick to racing ' after Muhammad Ali comparison

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen said he would stick to Formula One after he was told he would suit boxing due to the strength he showed in winning the Miami Grand Prix.

The current champion battled through an intense, physical and humid race in Florida which saw him push through from third on the grid to ultimately take the lead and control the rest of the race despite a late resurgence from Charles Leclerc.

Speaking to Sky Sports after the race, it was suggested with such physical resilience he would perhaps be a successful boxer like another champion, Muhammad Ali.

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“It was an incredible Grand Prix, very physical as well, but I think we kept it exciting until the end,” Verstappen said.

“I think I’ll stick to racing but I appreciate boxing. I’m incredibly happy winning in Miami. It was an incredible Sunday for us.”

Ferrari’s Leclerc agreed that it was a tough race to have gone through, and suggested that problems with the tyres – which Red Bull noted had started to fray before the first 10 laps were out – held him back.

“It was a very difficult race physically, we struggled with the medium tyres quite a bit in the first stint and got overtaken then,” he acknowledged.

“It made our race a bit more difficult from that moment onwards.”

There was a brief moment of hope for the Monegasque youngster but despite being unable to capitalise, he was optimistic for the rest of the campaign.

“On the hards we were very competitive and in the end I thought I could get Max at one point, but today they had the advantage in terms of pace,” he explained.

“But it was fun. It was amazing to see so many people and so many Ferrari fans in the grandstand.

“We need to keep pushing. Each race will be very important throughout the year. And I hope now we can do a step up, from next race onwards.”

Leclerc leads the championship by 19 points from second-placed Verstappen.

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Verstappen says 'a lot of things can go wrong' at Miami Grand Prix

Max Verstappen warned that ‘a lot of things can go wrong’ this weekend at the new Miami Grand Prix.

The race is the first of the season in the United States, in a year which features two US races for the first time in a Formula One campaign.

On a street circuit that is unfamiliar to racers, the Red Bull driver and previous year’s champion, said that it might not be possible to repeat the success at Imola, where he won both the Grand Prix proper and the sprint race the preceding Saturday.

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“I think you always want to achieve a weekend like we had at Imola, but that’s not always the case,” he cautioned. “Let’s see what we can do here.

“We have a good car, and we can have a good result again, but on a new track a lot of things can go wrong or can go well.

“It’s of course trying to find out what works for you, get up to speed on a new track, find out what works for you with the tarmac and what goes from there, and try to do something similar as at Imola.

“I think the fast corners are cool, the straights are very long. We have the tight section of the track which is interesting as well.”

Verstappen’s Red Bull Teammate Sergio Perez observed that there were dangers with the track, suggesting the surface is not the cleanest.

He said: “It will be interesting to see the grip level. The asphalt looks a bit different, some places looks like it’s already opening up. Other than that I think it’s going to be a great race.

“The circuit has really long straights so for racing it should be a good circuit. We should give a good, fun race to the fans.”

Seven-time champion and Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, perhaps distracted by a spat over his jewellery, has endured a miserable start to the season, and did not appear any more confident that his car would improve despite work behind the scenes since the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix two weeks ago.

“You can expect that we’ll be giving it our all and trying our best,” he stated. “There’s been a huge amount of work in the background, everyone working as hard as we can.

“We’ve got a new rear wing, for example. So I’m just grateful for everyone keeping their head down and putting in amazing, hard work.”

As for any improved performance, he said: “I don’t anticipate much change in that sense.”

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, the early season leader, said he had put his accident at Imola to the back of his mind to focus on pushing hard for another victory.

“It’s a mistake that cost some points,” he said. “Instead of third, we finished sixth, which is never great especially in the position we are in this year.

“I just analysed what went wrong and I was just too optimistic, so I just have to turn the page now and focus on the future.

“This is the beginning of the season – we are always there. It’s always extremely close with Red Bull. I don’t know who will be on top this weekend, but for sure we will have a shot to win here if we do everything perfect.”

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Verstappen says 'a lot of things can go wrong' at Miami Grand Prix

Max Verstappen warned that ‘a lot of things can go wrong’ this weekend at the new Miami Grand Prix.

The race is the first of the season in the United States, in a year which features two US races for the first time in a Formula One campaign.

On a street circuit that is unfamiliar to racers, the Red Bull driver and previous year’s champion, said that it might not be possible to repeat the success at Imola, where he won both the Grand Prix proper and the sprint race the preceding Saturday.

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“I think you always want to achieve a weekend like we had at Imola, but that’s not always the case,” he cautioned. “Let’s see what we can do here.

“We have a good car, and we can have a good result again, but on a new track a lot of things can go wrong or can go well.

“It’s of course trying to find out what works for you, get up to speed on a new track, find out what works for you with the tarmac and what goes from there, and try to do something similar as at Imola.

“I think the fast corners are cool, the straights are very long. We have the tight section of the track which is interesting as well.”

Verstappen’s Red Bull Teammate Sergio Perez observed that there were dangers with the track, suggesting the surface is not the cleanest.

He said: “It will be interesting to see the grip level. The asphalt looks a bit different, some places looks like it’s already opening up. Other than that I think it’s going to be a great race.

“The circuit has really long straights so for racing it should be a good circuit. We should give a good, fun race to the fans.”

Seven-time champion and Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, perhaps distracted by a spat over his jewellery, has endured a miserable start to the season, and did not appear any more confident that his car would improve despite work behind the scenes since the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix two weeks ago.

“You can expect that we’ll be giving it our all and trying our best,” he stated. “There’s been a huge amount of work in the background, everyone working as hard as we can.

“We’ve got a new rear wing, for example. So I’m just grateful for everyone keeping their head down and putting in amazing, hard work.”

As for any improved performance, he said: “I don’t anticipate much change in that sense.”

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, the early season leader, said he had put his accident at Imola to the back of his mind to focus on pushing hard for another victory.

“It’s a mistake that cost some points,” he said. “Instead of third, we finished sixth, which is never great especially in the position we are in this year.

“I just analysed what went wrong and I was just too optimistic, so I just have to turn the page now and focus on the future.

“This is the beginning of the season – we are always there. It’s always extremely close with Red Bull. I don’t know who will be on top this weekend, but for sure we will have a shot to win here if we do everything perfect.”

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Verstappen says 'a lot of things can go wrong' at Miami Grand Prix

Max Verstappen warned that ‘a lot of things can go wrong’ this weekend at the new Miami Grand Prix.

The race is the first of the season in the United States, in a year which features two US races for the first time in a Formula One campaign.

On a street circuit that is unfamiliar to racers, the Red Bull driver and previous year’s champion, said that it might not be possible to repeat the success at Imola, where he won both the Grand Prix proper and the sprint race the preceding Saturday.

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“I think you always want to achieve a weekend like we had at Imola, but that’s not always the case,” he cautioned. “Let’s see what we can do here.

“We have a good car, and we can have a good result again, but on a new track a lot of things can go wrong or can go well.

“It’s of course trying to find out what works for you, get up to speed on a new track, find out what works for you with the tarmac and what goes from there, and try to do something similar as at Imola.

“I think the fast corners are cool, the straights are very long. We have the tight section of the track which is interesting as well.”

Verstappen’s Red Bull Teammate Sergio Perez observed that there were dangers with the track, suggesting the surface is not the cleanest.

He said: “It will be interesting to see the grip level. The asphalt looks a bit different, some places looks like it’s already opening up. Other than that I think it’s going to be a great race.

“The circuit has really long straights so for racing it should be a good circuit. We should give a good, fun race to the fans.”

Seven-time champion and Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, perhaps distracted by a spat over his jewellery, has endured a miserable start to the season, and did not appear any more confident that his car would improve despite work behind the scenes since the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix two weeks ago.

“You can expect that we’ll be giving it our all and trying our best,” he stated. “There’s been a huge amount of work in the background, everyone working as hard as we can.

“We’ve got a new rear wing, for example. So I’m just grateful for everyone keeping their head down and putting in amazing, hard work.”

As for any improved performance, he said: “I don’t anticipate much change in that sense.”

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, the early season leader, said he had put his accident at Imola to the back of his mind to focus on pushing hard for another victory.

“It’s a mistake that cost some points,” he said. “Instead of third, we finished sixth, which is never great especially in the position we are in this year.

“I just analysed what went wrong and I was just too optimistic, so I just have to turn the page now and focus on the future.

“This is the beginning of the season – we are always there. It’s always extremely close with Red Bull. I don’t know who will be on top this weekend, but for sure we will have a shot to win here if we do everything perfect.”

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