Max Verstappen has admitted he is reliant on a McLaren slip-up to clinch the Formula 1 title as he suspects Red Bull won’t be able to win in Abu Dhabi on “pure pace”.
Verstappen pounced on a strategic blunder from McLaren in Qatar to take the spoils and remain in contention to retain the Drivers’ Championship until the last round.
The Dutchman has narrowed the gap to Lando Norris to 12 points, with the McLaren driver’s team-mate, Oscar Piastri, also in the running, 16 points behind the Briton.
Verstappen’s simplest path to overturning the current margin is to prevail at the Yas Marina Circuit and then hope that Norris comes home outside the podium places.
But with McLaren in dominant shape in Lusail until the pit wall’s miscalculation, Verstappen is under no illusion that Red Bull’s lead rival still has the competitive edge.
Asked whether he is optimistic that the RB21 will be strong in Abu Dhabi, Verstappen responded to media including Motorsport Week: “I have no idea.
“I mean, again, I hope that we start the weekend well. Let’s say like that. That would help a lot.
“I think on pure pace, it will be tough, but a race like today also shows that it’s not always straightforward.
“A lot of things can happen. So I’m probably relying a little bit on that.”
Verstappen hopes Red Bull can flex strategic nous
Verstappen, who won his maiden title in a last-race decider in 2021, is hoping that he will have to call upon Red Bull’s strategic nous again in this championship finale.
“I’m excited. I mean, I’m happy to go there and have a go at it,” he expressed.
“But like I said before, you need to also be realistic, that I think on pure pace, we’re not at the same level.
“But at the same time, when strategy maybe comes into play or making the right calls at the right time, we might have the opportunity.”
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