Max Verstappen can achieve “something special” by splitting the two Mercedes’ in the Drivers’ standings this season.
The Red Bull driver moved to within seven points of Valtteri Bottas after finishing second in Hungary and, based on current form, would appear the more likely to finish closest to Lewis Hamilton in the championship.
That is a remarkable thought given how dominant Mercedes has been and how Red Bull had been the third-best team until they made strong gains in Austria which have since put them ahead of Ferrari.
“Max has scored more points (81) than any other driver from the last four races. That’s 18 more than Hamilton and also almost twice that of the Ferrari duo who are on 45 each. It’s also well over twice Bottas’ total,” F1 motorsport director Ross Brawn commented after Hungary.
“Beating Lewis for the title seems out of reach, but second place is now more likely for Verstappen and that would be something special.”
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The 21-year-old would be level with Bottas had it not been for Hamilton passing the Dutchman to claim victory in Budapest.
And in a year that has seen Verstappen barely put a foot wrong, even how he handled finishing second impressed Red Bull boss Christian Horner.
“I think he has driven with great maturity,” Horner said. “Even at the end of the race, to lose the race with four laps to go is hugely frustrating.
“But I think he gets the bigger picture, knew the situation we were in and understands how the race is being read because to the layman it may seem that Red Bull got their strategy wrong. We didn’t.
“Mercedes just had the quicker car and the ability of a free pit stop opened up to them.
“He had the maturity immediately to understand what that situation was, and I think he has really come of age this year.”