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Brazilian Grand Prix victor Max Verstappen believes that he would only change his driving style if he was in a battle for the championship.
Verstappen, known for his aggressive driving style and overtaking, said he feels it's okay to race like such if there is not as much as a chance.
He understands however the importance of learning when to take necessary risks, and that he can see why driving styles would differ for those in contention for a championship.
"I think it's more for them," Verstappen commented. "For us, you always race the same. You of course always respect your opponent. You know when you have to take a risk or not.
"Everybody has their own opinion on stuff. From my side I just focus on what I have to do and that's of course to perform on track. For me, that's the most important thing "
Verstappen also express his hopes for the championship to become a closer fight amongst teams and drivers, as it would boost popularity in F1.
He spoke of how he thinks more teams and drivers in contention would further increase interest rather than a team dominating throughout a season.
Verstappen cited the Mexican Grand Prix as an example and showed how the race has become more popular as other teams were able to compete and win.
"It would be better to have more drivers and more teams fighting for the title," Verstappen said. "It's not in my hands and I cannot control that but for sure it would definitely be better for the sport in general.
"For example if you look at Mexico now from the first year, it's a lot more popular. It's great to see that."
Grand Prix of Belgium
G. Zhou
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Replies (1)
Login to replyRam Samartha
Posts: 1,172
It sounds like he is starting to understand why others were criticizing him before. He got a taste of others doing it to him. Also because the grey areas have become a little more black and white he has a better sense of when he or another driver has crossed the line, or simply just made unnecessary mistakes and bad moves. The last race was probably the best of his career so far. He had a clean weekend and made some great overtakes, and gave good feedback to the team. Even the quotes from this article show he is starting to recognize that respect for other drivers is an important aspect of racing, instead of just having blinders on and being determined to get to the finish line first no matter what. Still it can of comes off as being only half sincere. Afterall, it's not very respectful to basically say I'm adjusting my driving style for the other drivers. No son, not because the other drivers want it, it's a matter of actually understanding what it is to respect other drivers. Just when he's shown signs of maturity before he goes and does or says something dumb. Let's hope he has another great clean weekend this week and ends the season on a high.