Warning for Verstappen: 'He should not fall for that game'

Max Verstappen was at the top of the world championship standings for a long time, but since the Hungarian Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton is back in the lead. It promises to be an exciting period after the summer break with races in Belgium and the Netherlands.

Where Mercedes has been the only top team in Formula 1 in recent years, Red Bull Racing has entered the fray this season. Verstappen even took the top spot in the championship after the Monaco race but saw it disappear last weekend.

Still, Red Bull can be satisfied, according to Ernest Knoors. "If you look at Pérez and how they function as a team, they are very strong. The car is working well, Max is driving well," the former team boss and F1 engine engineer stated in conversation with Motorsport.com. "It's just annoying that now you go into the summer break with two bad results. Silverstone is of course quite frustrating, because you couldn't do anything about that yourself. Then something happens in Budapest which you can't do much about. Then you have to stay calm and cool."

Knoors warns Verstappen about the mental part of the sport. "You can see from Lewis that especially the mental part is coming into play more and more. Hamilton is very strong and skilled at that. Verstappen should not fall for that game, but rely on his own strength and that of his car. Some races will go more Mercedes' way and some races will go his way."