F1 News: Max Verstappen Has Bad News For Las Vegas Grand Prix - "Hit More Walls"

"I still don’t even know the track, to be honest," said Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen's revelation about the Las Vegas Grand Prix might cheer rival teams a little as he shares unfavorable news for Red Bull. Though the event's uncertainty would be faced by all drivers at some level, the 26-year-old driver offered an insight into his knowledge of the street circuit. 

The three-time world champion revealed that he still has a lot of preparation left to do for the race in Vegas, as his knowledge of the track is only limited to the F1 videogame. 

Listen To The Latest Driven Mad Podcast Episode

Verstappen sounds slightly skeptical ahead of the Las Vegas Grand Prix which already poses several challenges to the teams- from single-digit temperatures to tire management challenges. 

Speaking to the media, the Red Bull driver revealed that he is not familiar with the street circuit yet. When he was asked about his enthusiasm for racing in Las Vegas and if he looks forward to enjoying the challenge, he said:

“I’ll deal with that once I arrive to the track.

“There’s still a lot to do. I still need to go on the simulator. I still don’t even know the track, to be honest. The last time I tried it on the F1 game, I think I hit more walls than I was going straight, so let’s hope that’s not the case when I start driving there!

“But it’s going to be very different to [Brazil]: very low temperatures, of course, in the night there. Street circuit. We have no experience there. We don’t know the track grip. All new, so maybe it will give you a few surprises. I don’t know.”

If you notice the street circuit trend, maybe that is one area where teammate Sergio Perez feels more confident. He clinched all five of his victories for Red Bull since 2021 on street circuits. The Mexican driver outshone Verstappen to secure a win in Baku in April, just weeks after triumphing from pole position in Jeddah.

While Verstappen won in Miami and Monaco this year, his 10-race winning streak ended during the street race in Singapore when Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz became the only non-Red Bull driver to win a race this year so far.