“It was all about the attention of details where you could make the difference in terms of winning or being second” – World Champion Max Verstappen reflects on his battles with arch-rival Lewis Hamilton

Max Verstappen discusses his championship duel with Lewis Hamiton and how remaining impartial helped him win the championship

Despite his cool demeanor during his fierce battle with Lewis Hamilton, new drivers’ world champion Max Verstappen confesses he didn’t always feel like he had the championship “in the bag” this season. They battled for the championship throughout the season, with the title being decided in a very contentious way on the final lap of the final race in Abu Dhabi.

“Never a point where I thought, Okay! We’ve got it in the bag”: Max on his neutral Mantra

Asked when he really started to believe he could beat the 7-times World Champion, Verstappen responded: “It’s difficult [to say] because I was in the lead, and back to second, and then in the lead again.

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“There was never a point where I thought, ‘Okay, we’ve got it in the bag’ because every race I could either win or be second.

“It was all about the attention of details where you could make the difference in terms of winning or being second.”

Heading into the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, both were tied on points (369.5 points) in one of the most dramatic seasons in Formula One history.

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The first Dutch champion was visibly moved over the team radio as he crossed the line to win the race in one of the most disputed season finales, in a rare display of genuine emotion:

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“I always stayed very neutral, because you don’t know what the others are doing or how much they’re hiding,” Verstappen said.

“But I think the positive was that I felt I had a good balance in the car [in pre-season testing] and I was feeling very comfortable with the car.

“In the first race, it really looked good. But again, I was like, ‘Well, maybe it’s just the track’ because throughout the season you have a few tracks where the car can be a bit better than others.

“I think what was very important from that point onwards was just to be neutral, not to be too positive or negative – I always stayed in the middle.”

This was one of the most exciting Formula One seasons in recent memory, with Hamilton and Verstappen battling it out for the title. We can only wait and see what kind of rollercoaster ride we’ll be on right after the holiday break next year