Sebastian Vettel says the key to Max Verstappen still being a factor in the Drivers’ Championship is his ability to perform in high-pressure situations and rarely make a mistake.
Verstappen arrives at the Qatar Grand Prix within a race victory of leading the drivers in the championship, having won in Las Vegas while both McLaren drivers were disqualified. The Dutchman was more than 100 points behind then leader Oscar Piastri just seven races ago, but Vettel believes a central part of Verstappen’s fightback is his ability to maximize his performance as often as possible.
“I think the scary thing is that he’s getting better,” Vettel said (photo top left, with Verstappen) told F1’s Beyond the Grid podcast. “We know he’s good, but he’s still improving, he’s still hungry and he’s still willing to learn. I think he’s also working very hard behind the scenes, and that’s what makes him so strong.”
“Of course I think he is also blessed with a lot of talent, but even though he is one of the most talented drivers on the grid, I think what ultimately makes him so strong is always a combination, but the most important ingredient is his head.
“I think in the situations where it matters he keeps his head down and almost never makes a mistake and delivers when he needs to. He feels the pressure, we all feel it – I don’t think it’s possible [that] you don’t feel the pressure, but he can find a place in his mind if he can put that aside and focus on what’s important.”
Given how far Verstappen has come back and with four consecutive titles under his belt, Vettel believes the Red Bull driver will be the most relaxed of the three title contenders heading into the final two races of the season.
“At the moment, yes [he’ll be feeling the pressure less]”, said Vettel before the gap was further closed in Las Vegas. “Also because he won the championships. Not many people have won that many championships, but I’ve been fortunate enough to say that I’ve won a few, and I think the biggest relief for me was the first one. Kind of like the first win, it’s like, ‘Wow, I can do this’ and after the first win it’s obviously more than ever that you want to win a championship.
“So he doesn’t have to prove to himself that he can win a championship. And in the position he’s in right now, while he’s in the hunt, it’s like, ‘Okay, I have to do everything perfectly, and if it works, it works, if it doesn’t work, then it doesn’t.'”
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