Verstappen needs to take everything: 'Fastest laps are super important'

Max Verstappen ran off with the fastest lap of the race at the Qatar Grand Prix. It earns him an extra point in the championship, something that could play a major role in deciding the title. Dutch pundits Robert Doornbos and Giedo van der Garde discuss Red Bull's strategy.

Verstappen went in for a set of the soft tyre in the closing stages of the race. "That was super smart by Red Bull. Of course they were a bit lucky with the virtual safety car, but you could see that those two were by far the best today. Max was able to keep up well in the race I have to say," Giedo van der Garde a World Endurance Championship driver, said on Ziggo Sport's debrief.

"No one can throw him off balance. He's just focused on his own performance. Even if he has a lesser car, he still goes for the maximum. That's when you're mature. He thinks, 'These are the risks I can take to get the maximum'. That extra point in a championship where we are talking about 350 points, then maybe one point will soon count for everything," former F1 driver Doornbos adds.

It seems like the World Championship will go down to Abu Dhabi, but Van der Garde does not want to look too far ahead. He believes the fastest race laps will be very important.

"Let's do Jeddah first, see what happens there. You never know what kind of circuit that will be. If Max takes a win there, you don't know where it will go either. Those fastest race laps are very important. Take what you can get," adds Van der Garde.