Former Formula 1 racing driver Jacques Villeneuve believes he has discovered a fatigue in Lewis Hamilton that gives Max Verstappen a chance to win the drivers’ title over his rival. The two are in a tense battle for the championship, only six points separate them at the top of the overall standings.
Hamilton was in the lead ahead of the Turkish Grand Prix, but the combination of a start penalty from a new engine and a botched tire strategy meant he only finished fifth.
Verstappen finished second in Istanbul and again wrested the lead from his rival – but the lead at the top remains small.
There are still half a dozen races left in this exciting 2021 season, although the result is still uncertain at this point.
The Canadian racing driver Villeneuve, however, believes that the Red Bull man has the edge, as he believes there is disagreement and fatigue in the Mercedes ranks.
He also thinks it will be so tight at the top because the seven-time world champion benefited from a lot of luck.
JUST IN: Red Bull investigates Max Verstappen treatment
“The points in the overall standings do not reflect the real situation. Lewis Hamilton made a lot of mistakes and, unlike Max Verstappen, paid a low price,” he told Gazzetta dello Sport.
“I think about what happened to him in Hungary and before that at Silverstone.
“There are also some easy, easy Grand Prix for the Mercedes where Lewis was a little off.
“Of course, the season for Verstappen and Red Bull has been perfect so far, while I see fatigue with Lewis and his team.”
Villeneuve, himself a veteran of 163 Formula 1 races and 1997 World Champion, continued: “Strategies? In the past, Mercedes didn’t have to get them right because they won anyway.
“Like Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari – everyone said they were geniuses even if the strategy wasn’t right, but they were so much stronger that they won anyway.
“In addition, the driver and team don’t seem to be as united as they used to be.”
DO NOT MISS:
Mercedes boss explains calculation that could have cost Hamilton
After the Turkish GP, Max Verstappen talks about an “attack” on Valtteri Bottas
Toto Wolff explains why Turkey’s eight-point swing wasn’t a priority
Despite Verstappen’s lead in the drivers ‘standings, Red Bull threatens to be 36 points behind in the constructors’ standings with six races to go.
Consultant Helmut Marko knows exactly that her job is difficult, and after the Austrian it gets even more difficult because four of these six remaining races favor the Mercedes W12 over their RB16B.
“At the moment I only see two races where we have an advantage because of the altitude – Mexico and Sao Paulo,” he said. “Mercedes is currently the favorite on the other four tracks.”
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff agrees with that his drivers will have an advantage next time on the Circuit of the Americas.
“Austin [for the United States Grand Prix] is a track that we like and another chance, “the Austrian admitted.” But I have no illusions that the drivers’ championship will come to an end. “
The post Jacques Villeneuve stabs Lewis Hamilton in the face in the F1 title fight – “I see tiredness” | F1 | Sports first appeared on monter-une-startup.
