Max Verstappen returns to the scene of his infamous collision with then-Red Bull Racing team-mate Daniel Ricciardo this weekend, with the Dutchman having one eye on a return to the podium.
Verstappen crashed out of the 2018 Azerbaijan Grand Prix after a collision with Ricciardo at turn one but wants the 2019 event to turn into a ‘good story’ for himself, his team and engine suppliers Honda as they gun for their first victory since their partnership formed ahead of the current campaign.
Verstappen has finished inside the top four in each of the three opening Grand Prix of the season and is looking forward to racing at the Baku City Circuit this weekend, particularly as the downforce compromise, caused by the longest straight on the calendar mixed with the tight twists and turns of a standard street circuit, makes it ‘a lot of fun to drive’.
“Baku is quite an interesting race because on a street circuit, you usually want to run a lot of downforce,” said Verstappen. “Because of the long straights between the corners in Baku, you have to find a bit of a compromise so that means you have quite low grip on the track and you slide around a bit.
“It’s a lot of fun to drive and especially the castle area, it’s very narrow but also it’s really cool for pictures to look back at. It’s a decent track for overtaking because of the long straight and especially with the DRS zone, so it’s always an exciting weekend and a lot of things can happen.
“It’s a big show and hopefully this year’s race will make for a good story.”
