Max Verstappen claimed his first victory of the season at the Japanese Grand Prix, laying the foundation for the win with a strong pole position on Saturday.

During the second race weekend of the current triple-header, which concludes next week in Saudi Arabia, the Dutch Oracle Red Bull Racing driver was asked on Thursday in Bahrain whether his win in Japan had given him a boost in motivation.
“A win is always great. Everyone loves to win,” Max begins. “At the same time, we know there’s still progress to be made. That’s been our goal from the start. Finishing first is obviously better than second or third. We’re proud that we were able maximize everything in Japan. It wasn’t easy to find the right balance in the car, but we managed to make it driveable. That was enough to win the race on Sunday.”

This season, you’re not the clear favourite like in 2023, when you dominated the field. Does winning as an underdog bring greater satisfaction than winning with a big lead?
“Not really,” Max says. “Of course, I was very happy to take pole position, especially since my weekend had been super difficult up to that point. I didn’t feel comfortable, so that pole was a relief. And on Sunday, I was very happy too, because we executed everything very well as a team. The pit stop wasn’t fantastic, but everything else was. Still, it is not as enjoyable as 2023.”