Bearman: Verstappen is 'the reference' on how to be a champion

18:29, 06 Nov

Updated: 19:13, 06 Nov

byShayni Solanki

Oliver Bearman sends praise to Max Verstappen after their battle at the Mexican Grand Prix, claiming that the four-time world champion is "the one."

The Haas driver had the chance to tussle with Verstappen at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, pulling off a move on the Dutchman at Turn 4.

Although Verstappen finished in P3 after exiting the pits earlier, Bearman scored his first-ever P4 finish in Formula 1.

At Interlagos, Bearman said: "In my opinion, Max is the most talented driver, and for me at least, he's the reference of what to do when I'm in a top car.

"Max is in a top car; he's the guy, he's the one, he's the fastest, he's the best.

"That, for me, is the guy that I'm looking up to in terms of the reference of what I need to do in F1 if I want to win a championship one day."

Verstappen at the Mexico GP ahead of Bearman - Photo: Red Bull Content Pool

Bearman scored Haas' best result so far this season after a gritty race around Interlagos saw him narrowly miss out on the podium for a P4 finish.

The Briton emphasised his race against Verstappen was nice experience, claiming: "to go side by side with someone like him is very cool.

"Of course, it was very specific circumstances, and it's not normal to do that, but it's nice anyway, it's a good feeling.

"Well, that was the first time that I went wheel to wheel with one of the great drivers of F1, the ones with success and the ones with a big legacy in this sport.

"So, that's cool. Hopefully, I have many more opportunities to do the same because it's a really special feeling.

"We have four more races; it's not over yet. But that was very cool."

He continued about his Mexico City result: "It's really nice to bring that result to the team. It's been a long time since they had a P4, and of course, for a team of our size and our scale and operation compared to the others, P4 for us is a fantastic result.

"We get one chance a year maximum to finish on the podium and that was our chance."

Check out the latest episode of GPblog's F1 Paddock Update here!

Want to stay up-to-date with what happens in the F1 paddock? Then GPblog's F1 Paddock Update video is the perfect way to do it. Subscribe to GPblog's YouTube channel and turn on notifications to never miss the latest episodes.