Verstappen impresses: 'He said: this is what I can do'
F1 News
- GPblog.com
Max Verstappen won his third race in a row with victory in Austria. The Dutchman simply dominated the triple header and has increased his lead over Lewis Hamilton considerably. The Dutchman's dominance immediately rings a bell for Scott Mitchell.
It reminds him, he says on The Race podcast, of a former world champion and Red Bull driver. "It reminded me of Vettel's heyday at Red Bull. He could just record the fastest lap on lap 25. It was a middle finger to everyone. Verstappen was saying: this is what I can do. He even had some speed left and that made him untouchable."
Development of Verstappen
Mitchell has also seen that Verstappen has continued to develop since his first season. He has matured thanks to his driving experience and the mistakes he made in the past.
"Max has transformed almost seamlessly into a title contender. That didn't just happen this season. He was always able to get the most out of his car, nothing has changed about that. What has changed is his ability to take things in the long term. He didn't have to do that before. Max still wants to get the most out of every weekend, but now it contributes to his championship. He cares immensely about the ultimate goal."
Verstappen will have to wait two weeks before he can potentially increase his lead over Hamilton again. That's when Formula 1 heads to Silverstone, the circuit where Lewis Hamilton will have by far the most support. A victory there would not only be positive in terms of points, it could also boost the morale of Hamilton and his fans.