LUCK’S WITH LEWIS
Verstappen insists other drivers would be a match for Hamilton in a Mercedes
MAX Verstappen believes he is one of three or four drivers who could match Lewis Hamilton’s success in the right team.
The 21-year-old Dutchman defied the gods at a wet Hockenheim a week ago to claim his seventh career victory and move 63 points behind the five-times world champion.
Verstappen’s chances of eclipsing Hamilton this season are still remote and the Briton is widely expected to win a sixth title, leaving him behind only Michael Schumacher on seven.
But, ahead of tomorrow’s Hungarian Grand Prix, Verstappen said: ‘There are a lot of good drivers around the paddock who are capable of winning five titles.
‘I have a great deal of respect for what Lewis has achieved. But you need luck in your team and then be able to beat your team-mate. Then, if the team is winning for a long time, the victories soon add up.
‘Fernando Alonso would probably have won eight or nine titles in the right team because
he was a brilliant driver. In F1 at the moment, there are three or four drivers of that capability.’
He declined to identify who, but two of them were presumably himself, and, given his four titles, Sebastian Vettel.
Verstappen cuts a contented figure these days, happier to do his media work than in Montreal last year when he threatened to headbutt the next person who asked him why he kept crashing. Since then, he has had 20 consecutive top-five finishes.
The big question for Verstappen is to which team he should cast his future. There is talk of him racing with Hamilton for Mercedes, although there seems no chance of that next year.
Verstappen is contracted to stay at Red Bull for another 12 months. And he wants to wait for the rule changes in 2021 before sticking or twisting.
‘Winning multiple titles at Red Bull is my target and I believe in it, it is like a family,’ he said. ‘But the new regs in 2021 are a doubt for everyone. What does the future hold? I can’t answer that one yet.’