The current Formula 1 champion has had to work hard for his recent victories, as McLaren and Ferrari have closely pursued Red Bull. In addition, Mercedes has also posed a challenge for them in Canada.
Although Verstappen has easily won since 2022, especially in 2023, his victories in Imola and the most recent one in Canada required a lot of work and his best performance. During a press interview in Barcelona, including GrandPrix247, Verstappen was asked if he is responsible for the difference when the RB20 car is not performing well.
He responded: “There have been races where maybe you feel more pressure, so you need to consistently drive close to 100% capacity. I think that’s normal. I have experienced it before. However, other teams are closing in. In some races last year, you didn’t need to exert as much effort.”
When asked if he would prefer to have a significant advantage or always race aware of his competitors, like in the recent Canadian Grand Prix, Verstappen stated: “Well, I have also enjoyed Montreal every time. At the same time, I also really enjoy challenging myself to the limit and winning by a large margin. But I’m also not afraid of competition. So, for me, it doesn’t matter if I have one of those races occasionally.”
Whenever a driver dominates in F1 with a superior car, there are always those who claim it’s the driver’s skill, not the car’s performance. This was said about Sebastian Vettel when he dominated with Red Bull from 2010 to 2013, as well as Lewis Hamilton during his successful years with Mercedes.
Verstappen also faced similar allegations when he started his domination in 2022. However, with Sergio Perez recently struggling in the RB20, Verstappen has consistently fought at the front for wins and pole positions. This proves how exceptional Verstappen is as a driver. However, he is not concerned about what others say about him. He stated, “I am not here because of other people’s opinions. I know what I am capable of, and the team knows as well. So, I focus exclusively on my performance. I understand that mistakes can happen, and that includes me making mistakes too. However, throughout the year, we try to minimize these mistakes, especially when we are in a fierce battle with several teams where scoring points is crucial,” concluded Verstappen.
(Reporting by Agnes Carlier from Barcelona)
