Four-time F1 champion Max Verstappen, who pushed incumbent champion Lando Norris all the way till the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi, revealed that being the only Red Bull driver with the license to take on Norris and Oscar Piastri of McLaren gave him the room to be more aggressive with his approach.
Verstappen was edged out to the title by Norris in a championship battle that went down to the wire before the McLaren driver clinched his maiden title.
“When you’re on your own, you can go on the attack, you can be much more aggressive,” Verstappen revealed.
“I always prefer that,” the Dutchman added.
Norris edged out the Red Bull star to claim the title in dramatic fashion at the Yas Marina Circuit, amassing 423 points over the season and surpassing
Verstappen’s 421 points for Red Bull. Norris acknowledged the addictive taste of victory but added he seeks to enjoy the moment rather than getting ahead of himself.
Despite Verstappen’s determined effort to erode Norris’s 102-point lead from earlier in the season, the Brit ultimately triumphed after a strong performance throughout the year. In stark contrast, Norris’s fellow Briton, Hamilton, faced his first season without a podium finish during his debut campaign with Ferrari.
The seven-time champion’s impressive record in the top tier suffered a significant blow as he replaced Carlos Sainz at Ferrari. Meanwhile, Sainz elevated Williams to a fifth-place finish in the championship, securing two podium finishes and helping the team accumulate 137 points by the year’s end.
Sainz has a history of improving the teams he races for. During his time with Renault, he saw the team rise from ninth place in his debut season in 2016 to fourth place by 2018. With McLaren, he helped the team move from sixth place in 2018 to third in 2020. His subsequent move to Ferrari saw him assist the legendary team in climbing from sixth place to second before his departure last year.
