What a difference a year makes. Max Verstappen, after his travails at this race last year, where he was hit by Esteban Ocon while leading, could not have delivered a more impressive performance. Since his crash in practice at Monaco last year he has returned a more complete driver. Red Bull’s team principal, Christian Horner, has praised how far he has come and believes he has the ability to beat Lewis Hamilton in a straight fight. On this evidence it would be an unmissable battle. Weaknesses remain – qualifying at Mexico was a glaring error but in Brazil he was calm, controlled and flawless – dominant in qualifying and untouchable in the race. Not only did he retake the lead twice but exhibited some exquisite skill. His pass on Charles Leclerc to chase Hamilton was a decisive thrust he had to execute quickly and perfectly. Equally, the final restart was a piece of old-school racecraft that even Hamilton acknowledged was outstanding. Praise indeed.
Written by Giles Richards
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2019/nov/18/max-verstappen-brazilian-grand-prix-ferrari-flounder-mercedes-honda-f1 under the title “Verstappen’s verve lights up Brazilian Grand Prix but Ferrari flounder again | Giles Richards”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
