'That's not Verstappen's style, he's going to try to increase the pressure'

With three consecutive victories to his name Max Verstappen has increased his lead in the title race to 32 points. Although this is no guarantee, it is a fact that the Dutchman has the momentum in his favour, as the experts present at the Chequered Flag podcast know.

"It’s been plain sailing for Verstappen, he’s had no pressure and is only really under pressure when mistakes are made for drivers of this calibre", former driver Jolyon Palmer argues at the Chequered Flag podcast BBC.

Palmer does nuance things immediately, stating that the fully-booked 2021 racing season is far from over, and thus the prizes have not yet been distributed. Palmer: "The hard work is far from over. It’s a long season and we’ve seen bigger leads turn around in the past."

Despite this, the former driver also knows that Verstappen is currently enjoying optimal momentum, something that nevertheless opens doors every weekend. "The momentum is really with Max and when you have the momentum, you have the confidence it makes things a lot easier", he said.

"The pressure is lifted and he can afford, on a bad day, to finish second or third. But I don’t think that’s Max’s way, he’s going to try to increase the pressure", Palmer concludes.