Yes, Max Verstappen has the best car on the grid and that makes everything easier. But aside from the obvious, it’s key to highlight that sticking to that single, superficial conclusion wouldn’t be fair to the three-time F1 champion or any other driver. He has the best car, but Max is showing tremendous strength this season. He is rarely wrong. In any condition and no matter what happens, Max always calls when it needs to be done, when the steering wheel is on fire. He did it again on Saturday in a key qualifying session, taking pole position. And at the start of the F1 Abu Dhabi GP, he nailed it again.
The Dutch driver is at a very high level and he showed it in the first meters. He had to move well to avoid Charles Leclerc attacking him. He did this perfectly and passed first position until turn 1. He had to defend himself from the slipstream on the first straight, heading into turn 6. There, Charles took advantage of his car’s higher top speed on the straight to stick his nose inside. But Max, outside, gave a master class in defense, knowing that if he drives there, he will secure the inside of turn 7. And with better traction, he defended first place.
But it didn’t end there. Charles tried again in the first corner of lap 2. But Max regained power on the outside with better traction, accelerating early to stay in first position.
Leclerc stayed close and could have used DRS in the next turn, but Max started to pull away and didn’t let the Monegasque get close enough. Charles stayed there in the DRS distance for several laps, but was unable to attempt an attack against a Max who had already done the most difficult thing. Then began the strategic battle and tire destruction.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
