The times when the horses ran away with Max Verstappen in the Formula 1 cockpit are over. The world champion has been in a league of his own for a few races. In Silverstone (Sunday, from 3 p.m., LIVE on RTL), Verstappen wants to pump up his already lavish World Cup cushion. Because the Dutchman knows from experience: A lead can never be big enough.
“It’s looking good right now, we’re many points ahead. But that was the case last year,” Verstappen recalled in the RTL / ntv interview of the British GP 2021. Even then, the Dutchman was with a veritable lead over title rival Lewis Hamilton came to Silverstone. After the Brit was shot down in Copse Corner, much of the cushion was gone and Verstappen was hospitalized with a 51g impact.
In Formula 1, the tide could turn very quickly, Verstappen warned. “A lot happened in the first nine races this year as well, there were many failures. First I was a long way behind, now I have a big lead,” the 25-year-old commented on his title fight with Ferrari star Charles Leclerc. Verstappen also admitted with a view to Leclerc’s bad luck (defects in Barcelona and Baku, pit stop mistake in Monaco, penalty in Canada) “that we were a bit lucky”.
Hamster points instead of permanent risk
Verstappen still has the Reds on the list. “They’re really fast, and in Canada it was a battle right up to the last lap. It will certainly be the same here at Silverstone and in the next few races.”
In any case, Verstappen is prepared and relies on his calmness in the World Cup fight, which has recently characterized him. “It’s better for the team if everyone works calmly. Of course I’ve learned a lot in the last seven or eight years,” said the 26-time GP winner. The fact that he now has a world championship-capable car for the second year in a row also helps.
“If the car works and you’re always in the top four, everything is much easier. Then you work much easier,” said Verstappen. In the years of Mercedes dominance, he only had a chance of winning a few races and therefore acted accordingly more aggressively. “Now we don’t always have to take the full risk, but collect a lot of points.”
Red Bull update to improve quality balance
In Silverstone, an update that the squad from Milton Keynes transported a few miles from the factory to the legendary “Home of British Motor Racing” should help. “We will bring new parts to the car to have better qualifying pace,” Verstappen alluded to his Saturday record against Leclerc. In the hunt for times, it is 6: 2 for the Monegasque before the Great Britain GP.
In Silverstone, Verstappen wants to shorten the time, even if he emphasizes, as usual, ripped off: “The most important thing is the points in the race.” The Dutchman put his chances of winning for Sunday at “Fifty-Fifty – yes or no.” At least verbally he flashed briefly – the old “everything or nothing max.”