Although Max Verstappen is leading the way in the Formula 1 world championship, the Dutchman wants to remain cautious in his battle with current F1 champion, Lewis Hamilton.
Max Verstappen has extended his lead over Lewis Hamilton in the Formula One world championship ahead of the Mexican Grand Prix.
The Dutchman won the race, while the Mercedes driver finished second. Verstappen now has a 19-point lead with four races to go. At the wheel of his Red Bull, the 24-year-old driver thus has the advantage over Hamilton, but he does not want to claim victory too quickly.
“It’s going to be very close and exciting until the end”.
Max Verstappen confided to the media in the paddock on what’s next and the fight for the world championship title and despite his lead, the Dutchman is wary:
“I don’t believe in positive momentum. So every race we have to try and work out the details and we didn’t do that in qualifying, so you know, things can go wrong very quickly, or they can go right.
“So it’s going to be very close and exciting until the end. It’s always been a very good track for us, so I expect Brazil to be different from today.”
Mercedes team manager Toto Wolff admitted the Red Bull team were significantly faster this Sunday at the Mexican Grand Prix.
“[Red Bull’s] pace was at another level.” said the Austrian,
“I don’t think we could have won the race even if we had stayed ahead in the first corner as they could have passed us in the pit stops.
“In the end I think Lewis limited the damage in the championship and he had a brilliant race with the equipment we gave him. For the Manufacturers, Valtteri’s exit from the track at turn 1 was just very painful.
“At the start we had two cars in front, but it seemed to benefit Max to get through the outside – then the Valtteri spin cost us the points we could have gotten for a third or fourth place. As for Brazil, this has also traditionally been a Red Bull track – but we’re going to pick ourselves up and give our all to fight, and then we have three more to go after that. ”
Hamilton essentially has to run the table from here on, and probably hope for a DNF from Verstappen.. While possible, it’s doubtful, especially if he has to take a engine penalty.