05a6c3b545ff38c16c892a09fa7c5fa144d36d4c

Windsor: 'That's when it became clear to me: Verstappen can handle Hamilton'

19:26, 22 Jun 2021

byGPblog.com

In his usual review of the recently finished Grand Prix, Formula 1 journalist and connoisseur Peter Windsor states that it soon became clear that, where both Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton were in their element, the Dutchman could handle the showdown with his rival. He also sees Red Bull's pit stop sequence as the moment that the Dutchman decided this Grand Prix in his favour.

After making a mistake on the opening lap, Verstappen recovered and was soon able to chase Hamilton's Silver Arrow. Windsor saw this as an omen of what would become a spectacular race on the circuit de Paul Ricard: "After lap three it became clear that Verstappen could very much handle lewis. Both drivers were in themselves, trying to save tyres as much as they could, and that it was going to be a very close race between Max and Lewis", Windsor said in an analysis on his YouTube channel.

World performance

It was Verstappen's first pit stop and successful undercut that turned the race around, Windsor observes. He explains: "Verstappen’s pit crew decides to bring him in as early as lap 19. This is an interesting move because Mercedes were looking to bring Lewis in around lap 22/23. Een klassieke undercut."

With his spectacular laps before and after the stop, Verstappen managed to close the three seconds to Hamilton. Windsor also acknowledged the Dutchman's world-class performance in this: "This was a question of Max doing an incredible job on the in-lap and the out-lap, especially with the tyres not being warm. … If you want any moment that won the Grand Prix for Max today, it was those in- and outlaps."

Honda: 'His presence is very important for the future'

Ferrari has some explaining to do: 'That's why we fell so far back in France'

Read more about:

2 Comments

Agotech Patenting Inventions 23 June 2021 at 02:20+ 14

I don't agree with Mercedes's point that they are not developing the 2021 car because they rather develop the 2022 car. Last year as Red Bull started to win races, Mercedes claimed they had stopped developing the 2020 car and rather developed the 2021 car. Now the car they started developing so early is failing terribly.

Neil Henderson 23 June 2021 at 24:12+ 3182

its impossible to say precisely who is the best driver on the grid at any time because as we all know, it is the car that is majority responsible for wins. but we all know that sooner or later the best drivers find themselves in the top teams. this is the way it's always been. everyone has an opinion. obviously the talking points recently have been lewis speed vs his age, max' developing maturity. IMO the only other drivers who have driven a car over it's ability/potential are leclerc and possibly russell (his qualifying but it may also be that he is in such a terrible car that this is inevitable). it's looking like this year will be a decent battle between mb and rb. their two top drivers obviously deliver performances their team mates cannot. since rb have developed their car and can now compete with mb we are seeing a nice title fight. hopefully it continues.

Today