Max Verstappen is on track to win his third F1 title and has had a very easy ride into 2023 – much different from two years ago, when Lewis Hamilton pushed him at every turn.
George Russell is certain that Max Verstappen will benefit less from his inevitable third Formula 1 crown.
Verstappen only needs 3 points in the rest of the season to be mathematically certain to win the championship. It is very likely that he will achieve this at this weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix.
With five full weekends of racing still to go after the action concluded north of Doha, it was clear that it had not been challenged all season. Red Bull has gone above and beyond the competition, having built a far superior car. So it’s very different from what Verstappen had to do to get his first title. This 2021 season-long battle with Lewis Hamilton will go down as one of F1’s great championship battles, no matter how sourly the championship is decided.
Compared to this season, Russell believes the Dutchman will get much less satisfaction from the relative walk in the park he has enjoyed this year. He told the Press Association: “When participating in a big sport, if the pressure is not on, you will have a comfortable experience.
“And I’m sure the fight for the championship in 2021 pleases him more because it’s a real battle. He has been excellent this year, there is no doubt about that. Week after week he performed at such a high level.
But we see the strategy revised before every race and the prediction every weekend is that it will disappear. He can drive at 90% speed and still win by 10 seconds, and he knows it.”
When his third title is confirmed, Verstappen will join Sir Jackie Stewart, Niki Lauda and Ayrton Senna on the list of three-time F1 champions. “I am very proud to be able to achieve this. But other than that, I live very much in the moment,” the Red Bull driver said.
“So, of course, I want to do more. And I know that once I stop running, I’ll have time to get back to it and probably enjoy it even more. But of course, that’s the thing.” that I never even thought about as a child.” a child and realize it’s possible.”
He still has a long way to go to catch seven-time champion Hamilton, but the British driver was full of praise for his rival’s achievements. “He and the team have been phenomenal this year, flawless, and I think they have raised the bar,” he said of Verstappen and Red Bull.
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