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“I don’t really care about the points gap”- 2021 World Champion Max Verstappen feels relaxed about his lead over Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc

Somin Bhattacharjee
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"I don't really care about the points gap"- 2021 World Champion Max Verstappen feels relaxed about his lead over Ferrari's Charles Leclerc

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen has a 63 point lead over Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in the Drivers’ Championship Standings. 

Verstappen was part of an intense World Title battle with Lewis Hamilton last season. They were at each other’s throats throughout the year, and went into the final race of the season level on points.

After a dramatic end, and a heartbreaking finish for Lewis Hamilton, Verstappen went home as the first Dutch F1 World Champion ever. He admitted after his win that his life’s goal was complete, and winning any more Titles would just be an added bonus.

2022 has also been really good for Verstappen so far. The Red Bull driver went off to a rocky start with reliability issues forcing two retirements in the first three races. Since then, the tides have turned in his favor and it has been his Title rival for this year Charles Leclerc who has had rotten luck.

Verstappen now leads Leclerc by 63 points and is favorite to win the Championship.

Also read: “Max Verstappen is raising the bar”: George Russell heaps praises on 5’11 Red Bull star

Max Verstappen is not looking at his lead over Charles Leclerc

Verstappen was criticized heavily last season, for being ultra-aggressive during his duels with Hamilton. A major reason behind that was his desire to give it a hundred percent in his bid to win his first Title.

Now that Verstappen has achieved that, he approaches races with a calmer mindset. This was highlighted by Red Bull’s advisor Helmut Marko in an interview earlier this year.

Ahead of this weekend’s Hungarian GP, F1 commentator David Croft asked Verstappen about his lead over Leclerc. His question for the Dutchman was whether he felt comfortable with this huge cushion heading into the second half of the season.

“I think if you know me,” Verstappen replied. “First of all, I wouldn’t be laying on the beach. And second of all, I also don’t really care about the points gap. Because for me, it’s all about trying to be perfect every single weekend.”

Verstappen will be vary of the Ferrari threat for Sunday’s outing. Leclerc and his teammate Carlos Sainz looked much stronger than the Red Bull duo during Friday’s practice sessions.

Also read: “We are not stupid”: Guenther Steiner retaliates after Haas copy $1.5 Billion team’s package ahead of Hungarian GP

About the author

Somin Bhattacharjee

Somin Bhattacharjee

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Formula 1 Editor Somin Bhattacharjee fell for the sport as well as Fernando Alonso on the same day — during the Spaniard’s thrilling victory at the German GP in 2010. Over the years, the passion magnified manyfold, and metamorphosed into a writing career in 2021. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. He has penned over 2,700 articles for TheSportsRush, presenting a diverse range — news reports, opinions, and exclusives. A true Tiffosi, Somin never gives up on a chance to defend the Ferrari boys as a fan. As a sports writer though, he remains objective to the core and relishes opportunities to follow and engage in dissecting the action during races. That’s where the real thrill lies for him. Beyond the racetrack, Somin plays different sports including soccer. He enjoys exploring other sporting events and proudly supports Spanish soccer club Real Madrid.

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