Max Verstappen crossed the finish line with a lead of over 10 seconds over Sergio Perez at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The Dutchman was unbeatable, but according to the men from Ziggo Sport, the two-time world champion owes a lot to his engineer.

Verstappen could mean little to Perez in the final race of the season. The Mexican driver battled Charles Leclerc for second place in the drivers' championship, but in the end Perez crossed the finish line behind the Ferrari driver. Verstappen retained the lead on the opening lap and was nowhere to be seen after that.

Verstappen's engineer plays important role

"I think I know what the biggest difference between Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez is when you look at today's result: Gianpiero Lambiase. I got to listen to the on-board radios of both a little bit. That coaching from Lambiase is formidable. Short statements, think of turn 2, watch out, keep that tyre whole. With Checo, all you hear is: Yes, we can make it. Only six seconds left, only five seconds left," Jack Plooij began in the Ziggo Sport broadcast.

Robert Doornbos agrees with his colleague's statements. "So that's actually a bit like Ferrari. There you first hear 'question' and then you get to ask your question first. Nice long texts, which is precisely not what you want in a race car. You want short, concise messages," said the Dutch analyst.

Red Bull Racing could have finished first and second in the drivers' championship for the first time ever, but Leclerc's strong performance prevented that. Even if Verstappen did pass his teammate for sixth place in Brazil, Perez would still not have had enough points to beat his rival.

Het grootste verschil tussen Max & Checo... 'Question!' #ZiggoSport #F1 #AbuDhabiGP pic.twitter.com/LLOx6DmYAf

— Ziggo Sport Racing (@ZS_Racing) November 20, 2022