How was your summer break and did you manage to switch off from Formula One?
It was a good time to recharge, get some fresh air, and having two weeks in the same place is always nice! I managed to switch off completely from F1 which is important. both mentally and physically. Now I’m back, fully refreshed and it’s going to be a very intense second part of the season. It’s crazy to think in four months the season will be over.
You retired from the Hungarian GP so you haven’t raced in almost a month. How hungry are you to get back out on track?
I’m very hungry! Not just for Spa but for the second half of the season. I’m feeling more and more comfortable with the car, we’re taking the right steps forward and I think we’re going to have a strong end to the season.
How much fun is the Spa circuit to drive with this generation of Formula One car?
With these cars it’s a lot of fun to drive and a very fast track. The weather can be temperamental around Spa and because the circuit is so long it can be dry in some parts but wet in others which makes the conditions tricky to judge.
This weekend we celebrate our 50th race with Honda. What have they been like to work with?
Honda are so enthusiastic, you can see their passion for the sport and it’s nice to have people around you with that kind of energy. I’ve enjoyed working with them and it’s been a great experience so far so I hope we can repay them by winning this year’s championship before they leave the sport.
- In our 49 Grands Prix with Honda, we have achieved 11 victories, 32 podiums and 8 pole positions.
- Back in 2015 aged just 17, Max drove Eau Rouge backwards in the Red Bull RB8 in a promotional stunt.
- Max will participate in two home races on consecutive weekends. F1 returns to the Netherlands next Sunday whilst this weekend Max races in his actual country of birth, having been born in Hasselt, 100 km to the northwest of Spa.
- Despite Spa being his favourite track, Max has never led a lap or finished higher than third at this circuit meanwhile Checo has three top-five finishes and has qualified in the top four on three occasions.
- Daniel is our most recent winner at Spa, claiming our 50th F1 victory at the 2014 Belgian Grand Prix. Honda seek their first Spa victory since 1991.
- The full-length Spa-Francorchamps circuit was last used for F1 in 1970. Sergio Perez’s compatriot Pedro Rodriguez won at an average speed of 149.942 mph (241.308 km/h).
- The Team wishes former Bull Mark Webber a happy 45th birthday on Friday.
