Sir Jackie Stewart declares "time for change" as Max Verstappen draws closer to toppling Lewis Hamilton

Max Verstappen talks to Sir Jackie Stewart — Photo: © LAT Images

Mexico City Grand Prix

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Stewart declares "time for change" as Verstappen draws closer to toppling Hamilton

Verstappen leads by 19 points with four races to go

Ewan Gale

Monday 8 November 2021 10:25

Three-time F1 champion Sir Jackie Stewart has declared it is "time we had a change" after Max Verstappen and Red Bull edged closer to the title with a dominant performance at the Mexico City Grand Prix.

Despite starting on the second row of the grid, Verstappen took full advantage of the slipstream effect into turn one and swept around the outside of both Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas before charging to a 16.5-second win.

The result pushes Verstappen 19 points clear of Hamilton, while Red Bull is within a point of Mercedes in the constructors' championship.

Asked for his prediction for the destination of the title, Stewart sided with the Dutchman.

"I think Verstappen is going to win it," Stewart told Sky Sports F1. "I think the Red Bull now is going, the Honda is obviously good, very good, the team knows how to win."

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Citing Mercedes' monopoly over the sport since 2014, with the team securing every championship on offer, Stewart added: "Mercedes-Benz has been doing this for so many years now and got success for so many years.

"It is time we had a change. For all of our viewers and everybody else, we need a change. It will only be a bigger challenge for Lewis to overtake again."

Title still "nip and tuck" - Newey

Verstappen's victory came at the same venue that saw Red Bull's chief technology officer Adrian Newey's first F1 win 30 years ago when Ricardo Patrese scored for Williams.

Asked if the title was starting to look like it is heading Verstappen's way, Newey replied: "You just cannot say, can you? It has been nip and tuck all year.

"Obviously, going into Silverstone he had a healthy advantage and two races later we were completely on the back foot so everything can change."