- Title: Verstappen fired up for Spa fightback
- Date: 25th August 2021
- Summary: HERVE, BELGIUM (AUGUST 25, 2021) (REUTERS) RED BULL RACING DRIVER, MAX VERSTAPPEN, DURING INTERVIEW WITH REUTERS VERSTAPPEN PREPARING FOR INTERVIEW CLOSE-UP OF VERSTAPPEN (SOUNDBITE) (English) RED BULL RACING DRIVER, MAX VERSTAPPEN, ON CHANCES OF ENDING YEAR AS CHAMPIONS, SAYING: "Yeah, I think we just have to focus on every single race weekend to try and do the best possible job. And you know, the last race, of course, didn't go our way with some unlucky moments, but yeah, we just try to keep on pushing because the races before we had a lot of good ones, so you know, it can also turn around very quickly again. And I hope, of course, it's going to be this weekend, but we also know that Mercedes took a step forward in the last two races with updates to their car and we know that there's sort of few things to come to our car and I hope, of course, that we can make it exciting to the end." PEOPLE WATCHING ON AS VERSTAPPEN INTERVIEWED (SOUNDBITE) (English) RED BULL RACING DRIVER, MAX VERSTAPPEN, ON WHAT INSPIRES HIM ABOUT RED BULL, SAYING: "I mean, first of all, I enjoy being part of the team just because of the way the team is. You know, I really feel like at home. A lot of nice people to work with and they're all very focused and motivated to give everything and to win. They really want to be here and they really want to succeed and they've done that of course before and they want to do it again. So, for me, I'm of course on the same trajectory and yeah I hope that we can succeed this year." VERSTAPPEN DURING INTERVIEW (SOUNDBITE) (English) RED BULL RACING DRIVER, MAX VERSTAPPEN, ON FRUSTRATIONS FROM LAST TWO RACES AFTER STARTING SEASON SO STRONG, SAYING: "Those things are part of racing. I mean, I felt them before in life, so it's nothing shocking. You just have to deal with it and try to finish it off in the best way possible. You know like, in Hungary after turn one, basically my race was over, but I still managed to score a few points and that's better than nothing. So, you never have to give - you know, you should never give up." MORE OF VERSTAPPEN DURING INTERVIEW (SOUNDBITE) (English) RED BULL RACING DRIVER, MAX VERSTAPPEN, ON FACING LEWIS HAMILTON, SAYING: "For me, I just have to focus on myself and the team. You know, that's where we can get the results if we work really well together and then you don't need to really worry about the others. Because if you do your job in the best way possible and you have a really good car, then the others will be behind you anyway. So, that's what we have to target and we'll keep working on that for the rest of the season." MORE OF VERSTAPPEN DURING INTERVIEW CLOSE-UP \ OF VERSTAPPEN DURING INTERVIEW (SOUNDBITE) (English) RED BULL RACING DRIVER, MAX VERSTAPPEN, ON PUTTING SILVERSTONE IN THE PAST, SAYING: "Especially now, after a break, these things already feel like such a long time ago and yeah, I always just look forward." MORE OF VERSTAPPEN DURING INTERVIEW (SOUNDBITE) (English) RED BULL RACING DRIVER, MAX VERSTAPPEN, ON BATTLE FOR FIRST WITH HAMILTON, SAYING: "I mean, first of all, of course I'm happy that we are in that fight, that we can actually have a go at it instead of always driving behind the leading driver or team. And then of course, it's great for the fans because now at least when they turn up for the weekend and it's still not fully sure, of course, who's gonna win the race. And before sometimes it was a bit of an easy guess who was or what team was going to win the race, right? So, I think it's better for everyone." VERSTAPPEN WAITING (SOUNDBITE) (English) RED BULL RACING DRIVER, MAX VERSTAPPEN, ON FAN SUPPORT AT SPA, SAYING: "You can definitely see the difference and then of course, when you see the difference, it makes you feel, of course, different as well. I mean, I'm very motivated and I'm very happy that so many people always come to the track to support me. You know, to see all that orange next to the track is a great feeling. And yeah, I hope that we can make it a good and positive weekend." PEOPLE WATCHING ON AS VERSTAPPEN INTERVIEWED (SOUNDBITE) (English) RED BULL RACING DRIVER, MAX VERSTAPPEN, ON SPRINT ELEMENT THIS SEASON, SAYING: "I think it was not a bad thing and there are of course a few things we still need to talk about, what we can improve for the future, but yeah ,we'll see. I mean, overall you know, I was not for it or against it. I'm still in the same boat. So, I think we need to do a few more, you know, to have a bit more of a conclusion about it." (SOUNDBITE) (English) RED BULL RACING DRIVER, MAX VERSTAPPEN, ON SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, SAYING: "I mean for me, Spa already before I was in F1, it was my favourite track. And of course, even going to other tracks, it's still my favourite and then of course it's kind of a homegrown-prix being half Belgian, half Dutch. So, I always enjoy going there. And then of course, now it's fully back on the calendar. That's the other half where again, a lot of Dutch people will come. And of course, the two tracks are very close to each other and I'm looking forward to that as well." RED BULL LOGO ON WALL / VERSTAPPEN VERSTAPPEN SIGNING A HAT VERSTAPPEN ON STOOL, SIGNING HAT
- Embargoed: 8th September 2021 22:07
- Keywords: Belgium Grand Prix Formula One Max Verstappen Red Bull
- Location: HERVE, BELGIUM / SILVERSTONE, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
- City: HERVE, BELGIUM / SILVERSTONE, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
- Country: Belgium
- Topics: Europe,Motor Racing,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA001ERS3NZZ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Max Verstappen will be keen to put on a show for his army of orange-clad fans when he heads into Sunday's (August 29) Belgian Grand Prix ready to strike back in his Formula One title battle with seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton.
The Red Bull driver saw a 33-point lead over his Mercedes rival turn into an eight-point deficit in just two races after a controversial race-ending collision with Hamilton at Silverstone and a ninth-place finish due to an unfortunate first-corner tangle in Hungary sapped his title charge of momentum.
A win around the sylvan sweeps of the seven-kilometre Spa-Francorchamps circuit is just what Verstappen, winner of five races this season to Hamilton's four, needs to get his championship challenge back on track with 12 rounds to go.
It would also be a fitting way to celebrate Red Bull's 50th race with engine supplier Honda.
The 23-year-old has twice retired from the Belgian race and never finished higher than third.
The race around the Spa-Francorchamps track, which is just across the border from the Netherlands and is usually thronging with orange-clad fans, has always been something of a local race for Verstappen who was born in Belgium to a Belgian mother.
His supporters are expected to pack the stands again this weekend, despite Verstappen's home Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort returning to the calendar the following weekend.
Organisers have capped capacity at 75,000 fans per day due to COVID-19, with the event held behind closed doors last year. Attendance is limited to citizens of Europe and the United Kingdom.
The Belgian Grand Prix, which marks Formula One's return from its month-long summer break, is the first of a 'triple-header' of races taking place on consecutive weekends.
Verstappen dominated Formula One's last triple header earlier in the summer, winning the French Grand Prix and the two races on Red Bull's home soil in Austria.
Hamilton, who has won four times in Belgium and is chasing an elusive 100th grand prix win this weekend, will be determined to seize the initiative this time around.
Meanwhile, Daniel Ricciardo will line up for his 200th Formula One race. The 32-year-old Australian, who won at Spa in 2014, has struggled in his first year at McLaren and will be hoping to celebrate the milestone with a strong result.
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