[ad_1]
Silverstone . Just a month ago, Max Verstappen was the problem child of Formula 1. Three races later, the 20-year-old Dutchman beat admiration, praise and recognition. His victory at the Austrian Grand Prix was also the result of an amazing maturation process.
With the resumption of Verstappen, her Red Bull team has not yet canceled her world championship title. "I think we certainly have a chance from the outside," said team boss Christian Horner before the tenth of 21 rounds of the season on Sunday at Silverstone (3:10 pm, live from Monday). ; ORF). C & # 39; is the second home race for the Austro-English team in a week
In the constructors' championship, Red Bull misses 58 points on Ferrari and 48 on Mercedes. With Verstappen drivers with 53 points behind world cup leader Sebastian Vettel in Britain, with teammate Daniel Ricciardo, he is 50. "Our Achilles heel was that we were not always with both cars Incidents, "said Horner.
The other incidents are the impetuous actions that Verstappen had noticed in the first quarter of the season. Even Horner had asked to rethink. For without the incidents and failures of the first six races, Verstappen could have made a three-way battle since the title duel of four-time world champion Lewis Hamilton in the Mercedes and Vettel in the Ferrari a long time ago. Particularly strong was the criticism in Monaco. Verstappen had given the chance to a double success of Red Bull, while he was putting his car to the drive in the wall. He was unable to qualify, was at the bottom of the grid and finished ninth. Ricciardo, however, took the second win of the season.
Critics have gnawed at Verstappen. When a journalist approached him again in Montreal in early June on his driving style, he said that he was hearing more such questions, "I will give someone a head bad". a". Since then, the Dutchman has given the answer to critics and doubts: third place in Canada, second at Le Castellet and first place at Spielberg – three clean races.
His fourth career win in Austria was only due to the double failure of Mercedes in Hamilton and Bottas possible. But Verstappen has seized the opportunity consistently. "I've never seen such good tire management, certainly not a 20-year-old," said Red Bull consultant Helmut Marko. "Max showed his detractors that he can not just leave the track."
Yet the question arises: what if? Verstappen scored as many points as Hamilton in the last five races. Shortly before the end of the season, the boss of the Horner team said: "We have not written anything yet." (Red.)
("Die Presse", printed edition, 06.07.2018)
Source link
