Dutchman is starting his fifth season in F1 and the principal thinks that the 21-year-old’s work with Honda will produce a more invested and rounded driverMad Max no more was the Red Bull team principal Christian Horner’s assessment of his driver Max Verstappen’s forthcoming season. Horner, always engaging in discussing the characters of his drivers, was confident that this year it will be mature Max behind the wheel. Yet the test the young Dutchman faces may be his most challenging; watching whether he can deliver on Horner’s optimism should be compelling.Verstappen is 21, and has an undeniable talent, aligned to a forceful, uncompromising self belief that has been at times to his detriment as well as his advantage. In both...
Former world champion’s typically forthright reaction after US Grand Prix reveals frustration of five-year wait for victoryKimi Räikkönen is clearly a popular winner and there was a sense of relief that in his fifth year since rejoining Ferrari he returned his first win for the team in his second stint. It was a long time coming, 2,044 days since his last victory, for Lotus at the 2013 Australian Grand Prix. “Fucking finally” was the Finn’s typically forthright reaction. He had earned it, with a perfectly executed drive begun by beating Lewis Hamilton through turn one. Ferrari may have dispensed with his services next season but the US Grand Prix proved that Sauber will have a driver still able to bring...
The Japanese Grand Prix was a miserable one for McLaren, while for Toro Rosso and Red Bull there were positive signsFernando Alonso’s ire at the Japanese Grand Prix after he was penalised for leaving the track and gaining an advantage after being pushed off by Lance Stroll at the chicane might have been the low point of the Spaniard’s weekend. But for the team, qualifying in Japan will be a moment they would rather forget. Suzuka’s magnificent layout is one of the great tests in F1, it rewards a good car and exposes the failings of others. McLaren looked terribly vulnerable. They were comfortably the slowest cars in qualifying – a statement that would have been dismissed as comic a...
The Red Bull driver’s exhilarating charge from 19th to fifth at the Russian Grand Prix showed character and maturityStrong-willed, opinionated, uncompromising: Max Verstappen has always insisted that, when it came to his driving, only one person knew best – Max. Even under a barrage of criticism this season Verstappen vowed he would not change his style. Related: Mercedes team orders leave a sour taste in Sochi as Ferrari struggle again Continue reading...
Ferrari paid the price for a slow stop at the Hungaroring while Red Bull’s Max Verstappen blew a fuse after a power failureHaving made three strategic errors this season, the pressure has been on the Mercedes pit wall. With qualifying crucial in Hungary they were on top of their game in a chaotic wet session. Tyre choice at the right time was key and it was by no means easy. The team handled it well and ensured their drivers were on the right rubber at the right time. After this it was Lewis Hamilton who was once again exceptional. As Mark Webber pointed out, on his pole lap he took the inside line for traction on the penultimate corner. Always...