Driver field tighter

Sainz teases: “Could beat Max every week”

Carlos Sainz (left) and Max Verstappen

(Bild: APA/Getty Images via AFP/GETTY IMAGES/Mark Thompson)

Max Verstappen secured his fourth world championship title in a row - but the competition is challenging the Dutchman. "We could all beat him week after week," taunts Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz.

With two races to go, Max Verstappen clinches his 4th world championship title. But the competition continues to catch up and was faster than the Red Bull star at times. "I think Max has done an incredible job this year, but the second half of the season shows that eight drivers are within a tenth of a second," emphasizes Sainz. "We could all beat him week in, week out."

Carlos Sainz

(Bild: GEPA)

"Nobody is unbeatable," says Vegas winner George Russell when asked if he feels Verstappen is on a different level to the rest of the field. "There are always these periods when teams and drivers dominate together and people think that if I were driving alongside them, I wouldn't be able to keep up with them. But you have to believe in yourself," says Russell. Self-confidence is the key to a fight at eye level.

Russell continues: "Max is on a par with Lewis Hamilton, the greatest driver of all time. But I absolutely believe in myself that I could challenge him in the same material."

George Russell (l.) was the winner in Las Vegas.

(Bild: APA/ERWIN SCHERIAU)

No mistakes in the second half of Max's season
Max managed "extremely well" in the second half of the season not to make any mistakes. That made the difference in the end, Sainz believes. "The second half of the season simply shows that we can all compete against each other and make life difficult for each other if we are on an equal footing, i.e. have roughly equivalent material."

The pressure increases in such scenarios for every driver - including Verstappen. "Everyone starts to make mistakes when they are under pressure and everyone starts to complain about their car," Sainz knows from experience. "It comes down to dealing with the pressure, that you have no room to maneuver."

"Whenever you don't have a two or three tenths advantage over your nearest rival or teammate, the pressure suddenly increases and then nobody is unbeatable."

Before the Formula 1 circus goes into a well-deserved winter break, the race in Qatar on December 1 and the season finale in Abu Dhabi on December 8 are still on the agenda.