Verstappen drives with the title in mind

Once Jos Verstappen drove for the former Minardi team. No doubt team owner Giancarlo Minardi saw little Max running around in the paddock on a regular basis. The Italian - currently boss of the Imola circuit- has known Max for many years. Minardi now also sees how Verstappen junior is on his way to his first world title.

Grown as a racing driver

Full of admiration, Minardi watched Max Verstappen take victory in Austin. Verstappen has really become a mature driver, Minardi stated in a conversation with the Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport. "During the last two races, Max drove clearly with the idea of winning the title. He had put aside his earlier instinctive and aggressive manoeuvres. In Austin, he drove sensibly and did good tyre management. Especially with the last set he really made progress. The Dutchman has grown very much as a driver. "

With his team, Minardi entered the Formula 1 championship for many years. Minardi did not really make a big impact. However, he can now compare how this season compares to many previous seasons. "We are witnessing one of the best championships. It is amazing that after 56 laps in Austin there was less than two seconds difference between winner Verstappen and runner-up Hamilton. Finishes like that are popular with the fans."

Different strategy

Afterwards, there was debate in the paddock whether Hamilton could have won the race, provided he had done a different strategy. However, according to Minardi, Verstappen would have won anyway. "I think the decisions (of Hamilton) were not relevant to the final result. It is difficult, if not impossible, to say who could have made a mistake and when. What matters is that the key players made us enjoy it."