Max Verstappen is hoping to win his third consecutive Drivers’ Championship this weekend when he takes to the track in Qatar, and he could even be triumphant before Sunday’s race is even underway. If the Dutchman finishes in the top six of Saturday’s sprint then he will reign victorious.
Verstappen’s success means that Lewis Hamilton has endured another season without truly competing for the title, and the Mercedes star has now altered his expectations. Despite his previous seven championships, the Brit now feels that simply topping the podium would be his ‘greatest triumph’.
He told Swiss publication Blick: “We’ll be coming back. We can do it. The next step to the top podium will come. And it will probably be my greatest triumph in my career.”
With Red Bull winning the constructors’ championship, Mercedes are also hopeful of remaining in second place this season. They hold a 20-point lead over Ferrari as it stands, though other teams – such as McClaren – are hoping to pounce in what remains of the season.
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