20/03/2024
NEWS STORY
Max Verstappen: We are looking forward to racing in Melbourne this week. It is a very fast track layout now, which requires a good mix of getting straight line speed as well as decent grip in the corners, so it's all about finding that middle ground. The recent resurfacing has made the track a lot smoother and fun to drive too, so we are looking forward to that. We also have softer compounds compared to last year, which will make it a bit more tricky for strategy, but hopefully means it is better for racing with more pit stops. Getting used to the jet lag is always a challenge down under, but it is always great to be in Melbourne regardless and amazing to see all the passionate racing fans coming to support!
Sergio Perez: It will be good to be back in Melbourne this week, it's always a fun race week and the fans bring a great energy to the track. We have been working hard as a Team since Saudi to improve some areas we identified and I hope the car will be in a better window. I have been in Milton Keynes with my engineers and I am looking forward to seeing how we can perform with some minor changes. The car has felt competitive so far but Albert Park is a totally different test for the RB20 and it will be interesting to see how we match up. I think the field will be very competitive this weekend so it's important we perform in qualifying to put us in a positive place come Sunday. Last year's race here was a little crazy, so I hope it's a slightly more straight forward weekend!
• Max goes for history again in Melbourne as he attempts to win a 10th consecutive race, to tie an all-time Formula One record that he set just last season.
• Checo finished second behind Max for the second consecutive race in Saudi Arabia to clinch Oracle Red Bull Racing's 30th 1-2 finish in F1. Melbourne will provide an opportunity for the Team to finish 1-2 in three consecutive races for the first time ever.
• Max's win in Jeddah was the 100th podium finish of his F1 career, only the seventh driver in history to reach that total, and only the third driver to reach a century with a single constructor, following on from Michael Schumacher at Ferrari (116), and Lewis Hamilton with Mercedes (148).
• David Coulthard and Christian Klien competed for Red Bull Racing in the Team's debut race at Albert Park in 2005, when they became the first constructor to score points with two cars on their debut for 51 years. Five years later, Seb Vettel and Mark Webber scored the Team's first-ever 1-2 on the starting grid at the venue in 2010 - a feat Max and Checo will be seeking for the first time this season this weekend.
• Max has finished every Grand Prix since retiring from the 2022 Australian GP, a span of 43 races, the second-longest streak in history.