Villeneuve sees chances for Verstappen: 'But he has to deal with the pressure'

Max Verstappen has shown a lot of great things in his Formula 1 career, but he has never been able to fight for the championship. This seems to have changed now and according to Villeneuve the Dutchman has a good chance, provided he can handle the immense pressure.

During the winter test, the Red Bull Racing team showed they wanted to start the season well and they proved they could do so in the first race. Yet Lewis Hamilton won the Bahrain Grand Prix because he was able to keep his cool in the face of Max Verstappen at the end of the long race.

It is those kinds of qualities that make Hamilton a true world champion and, according to Jacques Villeneuve, it remains to be seen if Verstappen has them too. "We have to understand how Max will react to the pressure because it's the first time he can really win the championship. In Bahrain, for example, the team made a mistake with the strategy, because for the first time they were forced to respond to Mercedes," the Canadian told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

A strong number two

Of course, for the championship, Max Verstappen is not fighting on his own and the help of his teammate is more important than ever. In that case, Villeneuve estimates the Dutchman's chances very well. "This year Verstappen has the resources and a teammate in the form of Sergio Perez who can help him, more than Bottas can do for Hamilton," concludes the former Formula One champion.