Max Verstappen warns there is "no guarantee" of Red Bull continuing success

Max Verstappen claimed pole in France — Photo: © LAT Images

Red Bull

Verstappen warns there is "no guarantee" of Red Bull continuing success

Red Bull driver Verstappen now has 12-point advantage over rival Hamilton

Will Gray

Wednesday 23 June 2021 18:00

Max Verstappen has warned a continuation of his success this season is "not a guarantee" as he hopes to start pulling away from Lewis Hamilton in the F1 drivers' championship.

Dutchman Verstappen had the upper hand over Hamilton last Sunday in France and despite having three wins each, the Red Bull driver holds the championship advantage thanks to three second-place finishes, compared to Hamilton’s two seconds and a seventh.

Asked how he feels about the upcoming Austrian double-header, he said: “I’m looking forward to it, first of all, of course, because it’s like a home Grand Prix. We’ve had good results in the past but it’s not a guarantee.

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“We have to again set up the car well there and read the conditions well. I don’t know what the weather is going to be like so I’m looking forward to it. I’m for sure expecting it to be close again but yeah, we’ll find out when we are there.”

Verstappen says season is too tight to call

Hamilton has won six of the last seven world titles but is now in the unfamiliar position of being the chaser, sitting in second place, albeit just 12 points behind his rival.

This season has seen the advantage sway in different directions and Verstappen is expecting nothing different throughout the season.

He added: “I think the car this year is, of course, a lot more competitive, every race weekend we have been to we are fighting for podiums or a win so of course, it’s a little bit different.

“But it just shows you that the two teams are super close together. One weekend you get it right and the strategy and then the other weekend the other team gets it right so I think in the end it’s really exciting.

“It’s always great to get on top but of course, like when I was second in Barcelona, you just miss out on it but that’s how it goes in racing in general. It’s still a very long season so we just have to keep pushing.”