Lewis Hamilton Beatable in F1 with the Right Car As He’s Not a God: Max Verstappen
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KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – OCTOBER 01: Race winner Max Verstappen of Netherlands and Red Bull Racing is congratulated by Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP in parc ferme during the Malaysia Formula One Grand Prix at Sepang Circuit on October 1, 2017 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (Photo by Will Taylor-Medhurst/Getty Images)
Max Verstappen has declared that he can beat Lewis Hamilton under one condition. The Dutchman had his best year in Formula 1 last season – when he finished 3rd in the Drivers’ standings. Verstappen also asserted that Hamilton was beatable and no ‘god’ in Formula One.
Max Verstappen on taking the fight to Hamilton
Verstappen believes that given the right car, he can defeat Lewis Hamilton in a straight fight. The Dutchman added that a part of Hamilton’s dominance stems from the fact that he has the best car on the grid. Hamilton, 35, recently wrapped up a 6th World Championship.
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Hamilton and Verstappen didn’t go wheel to wheel very often in 2019. The duo had a close fight in 2 races – the Hungarian and Brazilian Grands Prix. Both races ended with the pair picking up a win each.
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More recently, however, Verstappen did get the better of Lewis Hamilton at the Brazilian Grand Prix. The Dutchman effortlessly swooped past Hamilton on 2 occasions to pick up a well-deserved victory.
“Lewis is very good. He is definitely one of the best out there but he is not God. Maybe God is with him, but he is not God,” said Verstappen.
When questioned if he could beat the reigning champion, Verstappen replied affirmatively.
“Yes. It is very car-dependent, of course.”
Verstappen also stressed the importance of mounting a challenge and not letting Mercedes drive away into the distance.
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“When you can put the pressure on, of course, it is a lot harder for the guy in the lead,”
“I know that when everything is put together, as a team, under pressure situations like in Brazil for example – but also other difficult situations like in Germany, you can see that the team is really excelling compared to the others.”
Verstappen took an outstanding victory last year at the German Grand Prix despite treacherous conditions. The rain hit race saw Red Bull get the better of Mercedes- who struggled to make amends. Red Bull is known to make bold strategy calls that usually pay off.
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Red Bull had a decent year in 2019, considering it was their first season using Honda Power. The Milton-Keynes outfit picked up 3 victories but couldn’t really challenge Mercedes for either championship. With regulations staying unchanged, Red Bull will be hoping for a more competitive showing on its part in 2020.
Red Bull will reveal its 2020 challenger on February 12. Winter testing begins on February 19.
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