06/06/2024
NEWS STORY
Max Verstappen: Following a more difficult weekend in Monaco, this week I have been with the Team back at the factory and in the sim preparing for the Canadian Grand Prix. The track there is very unique, has some old school kerbs and there are plenty more opportunities for overtaking. It is even more important to have a good set up of the car and find a balance between the straight line speeds as well as good stability under the braking. It is always good to be back racing in Montreal; the scenery is one of a kind, the atmosphere in the city is great and the fans are very passionate. Finally, it is great news that Checo has signed with the Team until 2026 and I am glad to be able to continue with the successful partnership that we have created over the past few years. We achieved a record-breaking season last year and the Team is very strong, so we are looking forward to building on this success into the next two years as well.
Sergio Perez: I am happy to be coming to Canada knowing I am staying with Oracle Red Bull Racing. It feels incredible to be trusted by the Team to continue with them until 2026 and I am grateful for the confidence everyone has put in me. I know we have a lot of work to do in the coming seasons but, more importantly, in the short-term. We need to get back to the standards we were setting before Imola and get the car in a better window to perform on both Saturday and Sundays. While the race was a disaster in Monaco, we were in the wrong grid position due to a poor qualifying and we need to solve that in Montreal. The Team and I want to be starting at the front of the grid come race day and the aim is to make our lives a lot simpler this weekend.
Stats & Facts
• Max and Oracle Red Bull Racing are seeking a third consecutive Canadian GP win. Max has led 123 of the last 140 racing laps at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve and claimed the Team's 100th GP victory in Formula One last season there.
• Max took pole for last year's Canadian GP by 1.244 seconds, the largest margin in the history of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
• Before the Monaco GP, Checo was one of only three drivers to score in every GP this season. It was only the fifth time he failed to complete the first lap across 14 seasons and 265 career starts.
• Max's record-equalling streak of eight consecutive pole positions came to an end in Monaco, as did his record-equalling run of seven poles to start the season. Every instance a driver has taken at least the first six poles in an F1 season, that driver has won the championship (Ayrton Senna 1988, Nigel Mansell 1992, Alain Prost 1993).
• Only seven pit stops took place during the Monaco GP due to the opening lap red flag. Oracle Red Bull Racing were fastest for the sixth time in the last seven GPs, with Max's stop taking 2.10 seconds.