Three-time champion Jackie Stewart made headlines recently after he claimed that Lewis Hamilton has a “lack of hunger.” The 84-year-old made these remarks even though Hamilton only recently signed a contract extension with Mercedes. The 38-year-old signed a new deal with the Silver Arrows to challenge Max Verstappen, who Stewart believes has been finding it too easy to win.
Stewart believes F1 was a much more complex sport when he raced between 1965 and 1973. In a recent interview with the Bild, the Scot explained how drivers during his time had to be far more consistent than they are today because back in the day, there were just 11 races in a season as compared to 24 now.
Hence, Stewart believes that Verstappen has found it much easier to achieve success. The Dutchman is already a double world champion and is edging closer to winning his third title this year. As things stand in the championship, Verstappen has a 145-point lead over Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez.
Stewart explains how F1’s schedule has made it easier for Verstappen to win
While speaking to Bild (as quoted by crash.net) about how it is easier for Max Verstappen to win now as compared to before, Jackie Stewart said, “There are a lot more races. When I became world champion for the first time in 1969, we only competed in 11 Grand Prix. This year the calendar consisted of 24 races [although two were canceled]“.
Since there are many more races now, Stewart believes drivers can afford to make mistakes on certain weekends and still win the title. Moreover, the 84-year-old believes this is not the only reason the job of current F1 drivers is easier.
A 10/10 performance today @redbullracing 🏆
To win 10 races in a row, and 15 consecutive races as a team, is unbelievable! 💪 I’m beyond proud to achieve this milestone together 👏
Today we will enjoy this moment and then we will keep pushing for more ☝
#ItalianGP pic.twitter.com/Cj8DPqmxzN
— Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen) September 3, 2023
Stewart stated that although drivers compete in 24 races now, he competed in 65 when he was at his peak. The Scot revealed that he not only competed in F1 but also in Rally, IndyCar, and many other competitions. However, he admitted that Verstappen’s success had caught his eye.
Max Verstappen has been achieving unprecedented success
Max Verstappen is currently on a historic run as he has now won 10 races in a row, which no driver has previously achieved. Moreover, with the Dutchman already having registered 47 wins at just 25, he is well on course to write far greater records.
Since Verstappen has been so impressive, Stewart believes that the Red Bull driver always manages to get the best out of the car, no matter the conditions. The 84-year-old believes that another thing that has worked in Verstappen’s favor to achieve such success is that he already has eight years of experience in F1, having started as a 17-year-old.
As for Verstappen, he will now look to register his 11th consecutive victory when F1 visits the Marina Bay Street Circuit this weekend for the Singapore Grand Prix. If the Dutchman does manage to do so, he will also help Red Bull extend their winning streak to 15 races (one last season).
However, the only major hurdle that Verstappen and Red Bull may face in Singapore is that they are not confident about winning the race. Verstappen and Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko have revealed how the Marina Bay Street Circuit will most likely be one of the more challenging weekends for the team. Hence, there is hope for some of the other groups to break Red Bulls’ record-breaking streak.
