Verstappen Enjoys the “Positive Pressure” in the Title Fight
Max Verstappen, the world champion, is enjoying the “positive pressure” as he chases his rivals in the fight for the championship and denied comments suggesting a loss of interest mid-season. The driver has resurfaced strongly in the fight for the title after winning three of the last four races, reducing his disadvantage with the leader, from 104 points after Zandvoort in August to 40 points with five rounds remaining. His perfect weekend at the United States Grand Prix, where he won both the sprint race and the main race from pole position, ignited his ambition for a fifth consecutive championship, a hope that, as he stated, had faded before the summer break. Lando Norris is between the two drivers in the standings, 14 points behind Piastri and 26 ahead of Verstappen.
Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko stated after last weekend’s race in Austin that he believed Verstappen had “lost interest” early in the season when the car was not competitive. That is not an assessment that Verstappen agrees with and he insisted that he gives his best every time he gets in the car. When asked if he agreed with the Austrian’s comments, Verstappen replied: “No, I don’t.” “Of course, it’s more pleasant to come to race weekends like this, knowing you have the opportunity to win. But I know from myself that when I sit in the car, I always try to maximize everything I have and give it my all.” “So, even if I’m fighting for fourth place or even ninth, I will always try to make the best of it.”In the worst case, I’m still third, right? I just want to try to win races until the end of the season. We’ve had a good run and we also know as a team that it has to be perfect to have a chance.
Max Verstappen
