Max Verstappen has had an excellent first day of racing. In the first free practice session on the Austrian circuit, he set the fastest time, but a few hours later he had to let both Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas pass him. It promises to be an exciting qualifying session on Saturday.
Hamilton and Verstappen are well-matched this season. The Englishman had an advantage over his rival at the start of the Formula 1 year, but that disappeared during the Monaco Grand Prix. Since then it is Hamilton's turn to keep the gap to Verstappen as small as possible.
Not only the fans in the stands but also the drivers on track are enjoying the fight between both drivers. Although Red Bull Racing seems to have the best chances, for now, Mercedes is not to be underestimated. "The title fight is very exciting for all of us to watch. And Max is doing very well. So why not?", stated Mick Schumacher in conversation with Berliner-Kurier.de about Verstappen's chances.
Schumacher in world championship
The German has not been able to score any points so far. Just like his teammate Nikita Mazepin, the driver was at the back of the field for the time being. Also, George Russell and Nicholas Latifi are still empty-handed.