Three-time Grand Prix winner Max Verstappen admits winning races in dominant fashion would be preferable to doing so after a close battle with his rivals.
The Dutchman has claimed two comprehensive victories this season in Malaysia and Mexico which involved passing a rival in the early laps before going to establish a comfortable margin which he would carry until the chequered flag.
Though those wins were not particularly exciting both for the fans and even the 20-year-old, who occasionally pumped in fastest laps to keep himself amused during the last race, he suggests those kinds of wins with little competition bring more satisfaction.
“This is winning – and I think this is the most beautiful way of doing it,” Verstappen was quoted by Autosport. “Of course, overtaking is fun, but in recent years I’ve never been in a position that I could control races.
“This is what I did in karting, actually, and in the end, this is what you want to do. Overtaking is definitely nice, but to me, it’s not something that’s necessary.
“Ultimately you want to win races like [Lewis] Hamilton and eventually win a championship.”
On his Mexico win, where he would pass Sebastian Vettel in the early corners before going on to win almost 20 seconds from the Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas, the Red Bull driver says this is the blueprint that he wants to repeat regularly.
“This is certainly one of my favourite ones of course, because you not only won the race, you also controlled it, without any pressure from behind,” he said. “I hope that we will be in the same position next year. From the very first race.”
His vision is very different to the new and now four-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who has always made it clear he lives for the fight in F1 and wants to go wheel-to-wheel with his rivals.
Last week too, he claimed the rising threat from Verstappen would provide his motivation to keep improving as a driver and over the weekend in Las Vegas, Max was asked about those comments.
“Well, he has to. Absolutely,” he told The Drive smiling. “That’s nothing bad against Lewis, but when you win three, four World titles, your sharpness kind of disappears.
“So I think at one point if you have a real challenge again from someone, you have to raise your game because you’re not really used to fighting it out every single race for victories or podiums, which I’ve been doing for the last three years.
“I’ve never been in his position, so I’m really determined to get there. I’m really fired up to achieve that.”
Perhaps the two most polarising drivers on the grid today, Verstappen thinks Hamilton still has something to prove as his Mercedes has given him a healthy advantage.
“I mean, a lot about it is the whole package, he has been in the best car for three years now, so that helps a lot,” he said. “That doesn’t take anything away from Lewis because he’s a very talented driver. He’s naturally gifted.
“That’s the difference compared to his teammates, for example, that’s why he’s winning the championships. He’s better than everyone around him.
“Hopefully, next year we will have at least a similar package so I can take up the challenge, but we have to wait and see.”