The 25-year-old Red Bull driver said in a press conference on Thursday that he was in so much pain before leaving for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to compete in the second round of the first category, that he “was barely able to walk.”
He added, “At home, I was very ill and might not walk. When I arrived in (Jeddah), I thought the matter was behind me… But as soon as I got into the car for the first period of free practice, following one lap I felt that I needed two laps to be able to drive.” Breathe normally.”
“It made me uncomfortable all weekend. It was one of the first races where I felt physically limited and it was very frustrating.”
Despite his improvement, the Dutch driver would welcome a 4-week stoppage at the end of the Australian Grand Prix, where he said, “Two weeks ago, I wasn’t looking forward to it (stopping) but then I was very sick and these weeks should allow me to recover and regain my abilities.” percent”.
Verstappen, leader of the drivers’ standings, is considered the most prominent candidate to win at the Albert Park circuit on Sunday, following he won the first round in Bahrain and finished second in Saudi Arabia, behind his Mexican teammate Sergio Perez, following starting from the fifteenth place.
© 2023 AFP
