Villeneuve sees pressure on Verstappen: "It's up to him to prove it"
F1 News
- GPblog.com
It is the battle Formula 1 fans have been waiting for, between world champion Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. Former world champion Jacques Villeneuve also thinks so, but thinks that the Dutchman missed a great opportunity in Bahrain.
The pressure is on Verstappen
Villeneuve therefore believes the pressure is now on Verstappen, who had to let victory slip by him in Bahrain. "He had the race in his pocket, but he managed to lose it," the Canadian, who turned 50 today, told Le Journal de Montreal.
"I can't wait to see how he performs in the coming races," Villeneuve looks ahead to Imola. "Everyone sees him as a future world champion. It's up to him to prove that."
Formula 1 must innovate
In the interview, Villeneuve also discusses the plan to organise a number of sprint races in Formula 1 this season. "My first reaction would have been to criticise this move," said the 1997 world champion. "But if you think about it, F1 needs to innovate. I think this formula is worth exploiting." The plan is for sprint races to be held during the British (July 17), Italian (September 11) and Brazilian (November 6) Grands Prix.