Former Formula 1 driver John Watson believes Max Verstappen “has yet to put all the components together” to beat Lewis Hamilton to the title this season as the championship took a new turn during Formula 1’s summer break.
Verstappen, who has not yet won a championship title, grabbed the lead after winning the Monaco Grand Prix as Mercedes struggled through the streets of Monte Carlo.
The Dutchman steadily built a lead on the seven-time world champion and had a solid 33 points ahead of the home Grand Prix in Hamilton, a full race win thanks to victory in the sprint qualifying race.
But the momentum came when Verstappen, who had started from pole position, crashed dramatically with Hamilton on the first lap of the British Grand Prix, sending the Red Bull driver through the gravel and into the tire barrier.
Verstappen’s lead was reduced to just eight points on the way to Budapest, with Red Bull promising to bounce back.
SIMPLE IN:
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff triggered by Red Bull and Christian Horner
But at the weekend the 23-year-old was even more unlucky when the Dutchman was involved in another incident, this time in the hands of the second Mercedes driver, when Valtteri Bottas caused a pile-up in the first corner of Hungaroring.
Verstappen’s team-mate Sergio Perez retired from the race after the fall, the 23-year-old hobbled home and scored two points for Red Bull.
In a gruesome twist of fate, Hamilton, who incurred a 10-second time penalty for the incident, was able to secure a podium and recapture the championship lead during the four-week break.
Watson, who finished third for McLaren in the 1982 World Championship battle, believes Verstappen still needs some learning.
“Silverstone was the highlight of the championship,” Watson told RacingNews365.com.
DO NOT MISS:
Valtteri Bottas describes difficulties in the partnership with Lewis Hamilton
Japanese F1 Grand Prix canceled
Lewis Hamilton’s “great authority and power” is supported to influence Mercedes
“Max should have let Lewis take the lead knowing he could have undercut Lewis at the Copse exit and regained the advantage, but this is exactly the difference between the two drivers.
“Lewis is much more adept than Max in such circumstances. Max is a hot rod. He has improved a lot but he still needs to understand how to win not only a race but also a championship.
“If you think back to Barcelona at Turn 1, for example, Max bombed Lewis with a dive bomb and Lewis gave him space. He could have closed the door to Max and they could both have passed out, but he didn’t. “
Hamilton is now in the lead, albeit by only eight points when Formula 1 took a four-week summer break, with Verstappen expected to win the Belgian Grand Prix on Jan.
“It’s going to be tight and tight between the two of them,” added Watson. “It will be tight at the end of the year.
“My thoughts are that Lewis will win it. Quite simply because he’s been there seven times. He is an excellent competitor. He has all the knowledge and experience that goes with it.
“Max still has to put all the components of a championship win together.”
The post Max Verstappen referred to a “hot rod” as doubts arose about Lewis Hamilton’s challenge for the title | F1 | Sports first appeared on monter-une-startup.
