Verstappen not rid of Mercedes yet: 'Twelve points is not enough'

With his victory in France, Max Verstappen now has a twelve point lead over Lewis Hamilton. It is a nice margin according to Helmut Marko, but not nearly enough.

Red Bull Racing poses a real threat to Mercedes in the championship this year. While Mercedes have been able to take the drivers and constructors title with relative ease in the last seven years they have had to work harder this year. Red Bull Racing is now on top, and among the drivers Verstappen tops the standings.

In France, Verstappen took off from pole, but after a mistake in the first corner things didn't go as smoothly as hoped. ''We didn't have the speed we expected, but with less weight (due to less fuel) and the harder tyre we got the speed back,'' Helmut Marko told ServusTV.

With an aggressive two-stop strategy, Verstappen eventually ran away with the win, leading the standings by 12 points over Lewis Hamilton. It's a nice margin, but not yet enough to be able to sit back yet, Marko judged.

''It's good that we have that margin now, because it gives you some peace of mind. But we know Mercedes is a very strong team. Hamilton never gives up, and the score at the end of the season is the one that counts. Twelve points is nice, but not enough yet,'' the Austrian concludes.