Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
Formula 1 press conference host Tom Clarkson witnessed Max Verstappen enter the room “holding his left shoulder” as he later complained about the Imola bumps, something Clarkson has “never” heard from him in F1’s ground effect era.
Despite a lackluster performance during the practice sessions, Verstappen managed to secure pole position at Imola and put in immense effort to claim his fifth win of the season. He had to fend off tough competition from McLaren’s Lando Norris on Grand Prix Sunday, but ultimately emerged victorious.
Max Verstappen hurting from the Imola bumps
Additional reporting by Thomas Maher
Verstappen and Norris were joined by P3 finisher Charles Leclerc as the trio headed for the post-race press conference, hosted by Clarkson, who noticed that Verstappen was favouring his left shoulder as he arrived.
Verstappen expressed his discontent during the press conference, surprising many as Red Bull, known for excelling in ground effect cars, usually avoids the bumpy rides often witnessed on other tracks.
Nevertheless, he proposed a potential alternative explanation for Verstappen’s feeling of exhaustion – his involvement in the Nurburgring 24 Hours sim race coinciding with the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix race weekend.
During the F1 Nation podcast, Clarkson addressed the topic of Monaco’s bumpy track after being prompted by Diego Mejia from Fox Sport Mexico. Clarkson shared that Max Verstappen, prior to the press conference, entered the room while clutching his left shoulder.
He claimed that the bumps were the cause, emphasizing how strongly he felt them. Throughout all the Red Bull races held under this regulation, I have never heard him mention any discomfort from bumps. Hence, it was intriguing to hear him express this sensation now.
The track is quite rough, as mentioned by the drivers. This makes me curious about the car’s setup, causing him to feel extremely battered.
I’m about to take the opposing stance here as Max Verstappen participated in two races this weekend. One took place in the real world at Imola, while the other was a sim race called the Nurburgring 24 Hours, where he represented his sim racing team, Team Redline, and emerged as the winner.
“But he did work for four hours last night. Additionally, he dedicated another two hours from 0830 to 1030 on race morning. Could this have had any adverse impact on his performance in Formula 1?”
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Verstappen put the blame squarely on the Imola bumps, stating that they had left him feeling utterly “shattered”.
He admitted to the media, including PlanetF1.com’s Thomas Maher, “To be honest, I’m completely shattered from the rough rides. My back and everything else are in pain.”
“It’s not primarily due to the physical aspect, but rather the roughness of the ride. After just 20 laps, I could already sense the strain on my back. Hence, I eagerly anticipate resting in bed, perhaps taking some pain relievers, and getting a massage.
Verstappen achieved his third consecutive victory at Imola, marking another remarkable triumph for the talented driver.
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