Jacques Villeneuve thinks Max Verstappen has been better than Lewis Hamilton this season, saying that the Red Bull driver should have had more points.
Verstappen currently leads Hamilton by six points. However, there is no denying that it could have been more at this point in the season. He has been exceptional all season, and has genuinely taken the fight to the imperious Hamilton.
Hamilton, by contrast, has made more errors than you would expect from him. The usually ruthless and clinical seven-time world champion has made quite a few mistakes this season. Villeneuve thinks Verstappen has been better than Hamilton this season.
“The points do not reflect the actual standings,” Villeneuve said, as quoted by f1i.com.
“Hamilton has made many mistakes, but he paid a low price compared to Verstappen.
“Just think of Verstappen’s retirements in Hungary and Britain. Then these were easy races for Mercedes, where Lewis was a bit off.
“At other circuits they had less pace or they made mistakes like in Turkey,” he continued. “Yet they are still close in the standings and so it’s very difficult to say who will win this championship.
“So far Red Bull and Max Verstappen have been perfect, while you could see some fatigue in Mercedes and Hamilton.”
Pushed all the way
Villeneuve also highlighted that Mercedes are having to work for their win, and that is lovely to see as a neutral.
“In the past, Mercedes didn’t really need to push, they won anyway,” Villeneuve continued.
“Like Ferrari with Schumacher. Everyone said they were geniuses. Even when they made tactical mistakes, they were so strong that they won in the end anyway.
“You can see with Mercedes that the team and the driver no longer seem to be as united as before. But you absolutely cannot write Mercedes off as dead.
“In Turkey they drove with the biggest wing and still nobody could keep up with them on the straight. Maybe they have pushed the potential of the engine up, as there are only a few races left.
“If they can keep doing that, Hamilton will go well at Austin and in Brazil. It will be a big help,” he concluded.
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