Max Verstappen says he’s”really excited” for the Italian GP despite a back-of-the-grid beginning, with the Dutchman ready to flaunt his own overtaking skills.
After the disappointment of a first-lap DNF in Belgium, Verstappen heads to Monza using a new Spec 4 Honda engine also, including Red Bull team-mate Alex Albon and Toro Rosso’s Daniil Kvyat final weekend, is set to launch from the rear row of the grid for this, along with Pierre Gasly.
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However, Verstappen is currently adopting the challenge as it’s a race he didn’t expect to have a possibility of winning due to Ferrari and Mercedes’ strength benefit at the fastest track of F1.
“I am actually really excited,” he told Sky Sports. “Of course we must start in the back and perform a while but generally when you look at it I think this trail will be a struggle for us due to this flat-rate rate Ferrari has, along with also Mercedes of course is more powerful on the straights than us.
“I think realistically, maybe you are able to fight Mercedes if you start up there but it’s still going to be hard. Why not attempt to come, start from the trunk and have a penalty through to fifth. Maybe a bit of rain on Sunday would be fine.”
There is a risk of showers during the weekend and Verstappen, a star F1 2019 performer who is third in the championship, admitted that a wet race will make Red Bull”more competitive”.
The 21-year-old doesn’t believe he will be in the hunt for its podium.
“You are able to overtake,” Verstappen informed reporters. “The challenge is that we aren’t that competitive in comparison to Ferrari or Mercedes.
“You will find other tracks where I started in the back and also finished on the podium because we had really good pace and we can do a different strategy with tyres.
“I think around here, I really don’t expect to go for a podium but if we can return to fifth, let us say in a usual race without any incidents, I believe that is a great result for us.”
Verstappen has begun reduced or 16th and has secured two podiums from those races.
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