Source:REUTERS/JAKUB PORZYCKI
[Saba Sports News] Over the past few months, rumors about Max Verstappen’s “next move” have been rampant, ranging from a move to Mercedes to quitting F1 altogether. It was perceptible that he was significantly more distracted and in a poorer mindset during grand prix weekends. Perhaps this started last year when the RB20’s competitiveness began to decline after Miami; Verstappen was extremely disappointed with the car, even investing heavily in sim racing during weekends to an extent that it was seen as hindering his real-track performance. After the Hungarian GP, he was reportedly banned or “voluntarily stopped” sim racing during grand prix weekends. However, in recent races, his focus has returned to F1. After an emotional outing at his home Dutch GP, Red Bull brought upgrade packages for the RB21, including a new floor and front wing. These upgrades were not specific to Monza, so both the team and the driver believe performance will continue to improve. Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko commented: “I am very optimistic for Baku and those high-speed tracks. I hope we can also win in Singapore, the only race we haven’t won. Normally we are not good on slow tracks, but I believe anything is possible now. Verstappen’s motivation is something I haven’t seen in a long time. He doesn’t even talk about GT racing anymore.”