Aston Martin Red Bull Racing are looking forward to the weekend as Formula 1 returns to Nürburgring for the first time since 2013 for the Eifel Grand Prix.
Red Bull have been in the headlines this week after it was announced that Honda will be parting with the team at the end of the 2021 season, as their engine supplier.
Max Verstappen is looking forward to the weekend ahead as Nürburgring is a track he hasn’t raced at in Formula 1. He has had previous experience at the track but is looking forward to seeing what his RB15 can do round the circuit.
“I’m feeling good heading into the weekend, I feel very relaxed and I’m looking forward to driving a track that we haven’t been to in Formula 1, at least for me anyway. It’s exciting to go to the unknown, similar to Mugello,” said Verstappen.
“I haven’t raced at the Nürburgring since Formula 3 so I’m excited to go back there to see what a Formula One car can do. It’s a very technical track, I like it. The weather looks like it’s going to be a lot colder than the races we’ve had so far this year, and there may be a little bit of rain so hopefully that will make it an even more interesting race weekend.“
Verstappen admits he is saddened by the news that Honda will be leaving Formula 1 at the end of next season, but despite this news, the focus of the team has not changed as they aim for more victories and podiums between now and the end of the season.
“It is of course a shame that Honda are leaving Formula 1, especially as we have such a good relationship and we really see the dedication of the people involved in the project which has always been very important for me,” said Verstappen. “In terms of what that means at the moment and what we are focused on then nothing has changed.
“We still have the rest of this season and next season to focus on together and we are still trying to be on the podium every single race, that’s a good target for us. Making sure that we maximise all the results that we can all the time.”
Alexander Albon is also looking forward to driving a Formula 1 track round Nürburgring as he too hasn’t driven a Formula 1 car on the circuit. The weather is also looking a bit on the rainy side this weekend so Albon is thinking it will be an interesting weekend ahead.
Albon said: “I haven’t done much with the time off as the weather hasn’t been great in the UK. I’ve just stayed at home, relaxing and hanging out with my family, but I did go karting on Saturday. It was a lot of fun racing in the wet on slick tyres in rental karts!
“The Nürburgring is a really cool track and I raced there in Formula Renault and F3. It’s got its own unique character with some really cool, high speed cambered corners which are always fun for a driver. I think it’s going to be very quick this year but the weather will also be bad so I will be surprised if it’s dry at all. I think we should expect some really cold wet weather running so it will be important to get the laps in when we can. It’s going to be an interesting weekend and we’ll have to get the waterproofs out!
“It’s sad that Honda are leaving the sport as I’ve really enjoyed working with them, they’re a great bunch of people. From my side, it doesn’t change anything heading into the race weekend. As a driver, we’re focused on the job in hand and making sure we finish our partnership with Honda as strong as we possibly can.“
