Chequered flag in sight: how Max Verstappen closed in on F1 title | Giles Richards


Dutchman could win drivers’ title at Sunday’s Saudi Arabian GP – though Lewis Hamilton will have something to say about that

There is an aura of calm around Max Verstappen that, intriguingly, completely belies the intensity of his Formula One world championship title fight with Lewis Hamilton. It is this composed ability to deal with pressure, to recover from setbacks and find peak performance time after time, that has put him within striking distance of his first title, one which he could claim at Sunday’s debut Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Yet alongside this maturity, this mental fortitude, there is also a boyish, eager thrill at simply being in the fight and it has been an infectious joy. A combination that he also clearly takes pleasure in as he summed up his attitude earlier this year.

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