I deserved to win says Max
MAX VERSTAPPEN says it was karma that he ended up as Formula One’s world champion.
The Dutchman claimed his maiden title in controversial circumstances three months ago following a nerveshredding finale in Abu Dhabi that scuppered Lewis Hamilton’s hopes of a recordbreaking eighth crown.
But as the countdown continued towards this season’s opener in Bahrain, the Red Bull ace said: “The championship is won over a whole season – not by one decision in the last race.
“So, I think I deserved the title – absolutely.
“Maybe there are people out there who only watched the last Grand Prix. Maybe they think I was lucky.
“But normally the championship would have been decided in my favour a long time before that race.
“I lost a lot of points – twice – after being knocked out by another car. And I had a tyre blow-out in Baku.
“It was because of all that bad luck that it came down to that last race.”
Asked if he understood why Hamilton felt hard done by, he added: “Yes, if you look at how things went in Abu Dhabi.
“But, like I said, you have to watch the whole season – you don’t earn a title based on one race.” Tempers frayed on the track throughout the season as both drivers refused to budge one single inch.
And that was also evident in the paddock too, as team principals Christian Horner from Red Bull and Mercedes’ Toto Wolff were involved in a number of spats.
Verstappen told Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf: “It was terribly close.
“Everyone was so eager to win the title, they pulled out all of the stops.
“Normally, one team has the upper hand a little more.
“Then it doesn’t have to be so hard and heated.
“I don’t expect it to happen as often as last year.
Jump
“But it showed how important it is to have a good team behind you. That makes me better too.
“I know I have a team that stands behind me completely.
“And they know also that I always give 110 percent as soon as I jump in the car.”
Asked if the controversy took the shine off his achievement, he added: “Possibly, yes.
“But I don’t care. At the end of the ride, it was a crazy and epic Formula 1 season.
“The losing team will try to take the shine off it a bit.
“But on the winning side it still feels good.”
Asked if he had messaged Hamilton, Verstappen said: “No, there was no reason to.
“We haven’t seen each other. And that’s fine.”