Even though Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen is officially a Dutch citizen, the upcoming Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps is undeniably his home race. Not only does he love the support he receives, the track itself is one of his favourites, as it is for many other drivers.
For the first year since 2002, all of the grandstands at the circuit have sold out for the entirety of the weekend, which can in part be attributed to a true Belgian driver Stoffel Vandoorne racing, or the fact that the German Grand Prix isn’t on the calendar this year, but it is hard to ignore the buzz Verstappen has caused in recent seasons.
Spa is a firm favourite among many drivers, and it is widely regarded as one of the most challenging and rewarding circuits. Verstappen is eager to drive the new cars around the circuit.
“I can’t wait to get to Spa this year,” commented the young Dutchman. “I just love the track and it’ll be nice seeing so many orange fans in the grandstands.”
“Spa is my favourite track of the year. You have to get everything right but when you get a good lap it’s very rewarding. There is a good flow with the fast corners and of course the best moment is Eau Rouge where you go up the hill, even though it’s easy full throttle in modern F1 cars it’s still very nice when the underneath of the car touches the tarmac and then gets very light at the top of the hill. This year it’s going to be a bit faster everywhere with the new cars which will be more challenging and more fun for sure.”
“It definitely feels like a home Grand Prix for me because it’s so close to the border and as there isn’t a Dutch race at the moment and a lot of Dutch fans are coming over. Already last year there were a lot of orange T-shirts and flags around the track which was very cool to see and makes it even more special.”
“Then we’re off to Monza straight after Spa. It’s maybe not the most positive track for us in terms of top speed but it’s always good to feel the atmosphere of the fans who are very passionate there.”
