Max Verstappen has been pushing his arch-rival, Lewis Hamilton, to the limit this season. The title race this season is as close as ever, and the Dutchman has blown everyone away with his performances. Honda F1’s managing director Masashi Yamamoto has revealed how impressed he is with the Red Bull prodigy and how he has become a true fan of Max.

The Dutch driver took the checkered flag from start to finish at Zandvoort, his home race, last weekend. However, if things went sideways Yamamoto couldn’t be bothered by going home as he is invested in the championship battle.

Honda managing director is a massive fan of Max Verstappen

As the 23-year-old brought home a victory for the Milton-Keynes-based outfit, he regained the lead in the driver’s championship. But, if the scenario had panned out with Verstappen losing his power unit, it would have made things difficult for Yamamoto.

Speaking to Masahiro Owari from as-web.jp, the Japanese boss said, “It became fun and I naturally raised my hand. But at the same time, if something goes wrong with Max’s power unit, I can’t go home.”

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“We were so nervous. However, it was a good race, and of course we will continue to have a tough fight with Lewis, but I am grateful to Max for winning this time and I would like to support Honda so that I can continue this fight,” Yamamoto explained. (Translated from Japanese via Google)

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The battle for the title lead isn’t over yet

Max’s victory at Zandvoort saw past Hamilton in the driver’s championship. However, Mercedes still hold the top spot in the constructor’s standings. Hence, the Raging Bulls hope to bring home a victory at the Italian Grand Prix at Monza this weekend.

As it stands, the two title contenders have a 12-point gap between them. However, after winning the Dutch Grand Prix last weekend, it’s Red Bull who looks more optimistic than their rivals from Brackley.

Who do you think will come out on top? Will Mercedes retain the lead in the constructor’s? Or will Max & Co. take the top spot in the championship? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

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