Max Verstappen has expressed his eagerness to forge a strong working relationship with new boss Laurent Mekies. The Dutchman's comments come ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, marking the first race since the shocking news of Christian Horner's removal from his roles as team principal and CEO.
The Spa-Francorchamps race holds special significance for Verstappen, who is half-Belgian and considers it one of his two home races, along with the Dutch GP. He will be aiming to return to the winner's podium at a venue that holds deep personal meaning for him.
However, he faces this challenge after a fortnight of significant upheaval, which saw Horner dismissed and sparked intense speculation about Verstappen's own future. For now, he and his colleagues are adjusting to life under new boss Mekies, who was promoted from sister team Racing Bulls to take on the top role.
"I was back at the factory last week to spend some time in the sim with the team," Verstappen said in a statement. "I'm looking forward to working closely with Laurent.
"Spa is a classic and always my favourite track on the calendar, a very old school circuit where you have to do everything right to get a good lap. I enjoy the high-speed corners such as Eau Rouge, the layout which is different to other circuits and elevation changes that make the track more of a challenge to drive."
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Speculation that Verstappen might hold a press conference in Belgium this weekend to announce his future plans are believed to be wide of the mark. However, he remains heavily tipped for a potential move to Mercedes.
In the short term, though, both he and teammate Yuki Tsunoda will experience their first race under new leadership in Belgium. The Japanese driver will be particularly eager that Mekies' approach can spark an upturn in his track performance, having managed only seven points since his promotion to the role in April.
"We are coming into this race in a new era for the team and it will be good to link up again with Laurent," Tsunoda said of his former Racing Bulls boss. "We worked really well together at Racing Bulls. I know how he likes to work and our full focus is on pushing forward and for me personally to start delivering the performance we need.
"Spa is a fun circuit and one that could suit us well. The Sprint always makes things tricky but the work and preparation we have done in this off time should set us up nicely.
"I have spent the time off racing mixed between training very hard and using the break to mentally reset. I wanted to be the best prepared I could be coming into Spa and in better condition, mentally and physically. I am feeling strong and sharp and looking forward to these next two races before summer break."
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