UNITED KINGDOM: Max Verstappen, the Red Bull driver, has dominated the F1 circuit this season, but former F1 driver Anthony Davidson believes there is still one area he needs to improve upon.
Davidson believes Max Verstappen needs to know when to fight on the track and when not to.
He added that Verstappen should take a page from Lewis Hamilton’s book on how he raced on dominant machinery.
Max Verstappen had a run-in with Mercedes driver George Russell during Saturday’s sprint event in Baku.
The pair made contact at Turn 2, and Verstappen sustained significant damage to his car.
Despite this, he was able to get back in front of Russell, but it cost him performance and added extra work for his Red Bull mechanics before the main race.
Davidson noted that, given the speed of Verstappen’s car, he did not need to race Russell as hard as he did in the early corners.
He suggested that Max Verstappen try to follow Hamilton’s example of playing the long game in dominant cars, knowing when to give up a position on the track to get it back later.
Davidson also pointed out that Verstappen’s inherent pace advantage makes it unnecessary for him to take a position at all costs.
He encouraged the Red Bull driver to focus on Sergio Perez, his teammate, who is currently in third place in the F1 standings.
Davidson admitted that Max Verstappen had spent many years in a car that was not dominant.
However, now that he has RB19, the dominant team, he needs to improve his mindset when it comes to fighting for positions.
He believes that Verstappen is still a young driver and is still getting better, which is quite worrying for the competition given how good he already is.
Max Verstappen has been in fine form this season, winning three out of four races. He leads the championship standings by six points over Perez, who has won only one race.
The Dutch driver is the man to beat this season, and his Red Bull team is looking strong.
However, Davidson’s advice is timely. Verstappen is still young and has plenty of time to improve his driving skills.
Learning from Hamilton’s example could help him become an even better driver and secure his first F1 championship.
Also Read: Lando Norris Takes a Playful Dig at George Russell after Verstappen Clash
