Verstappen: I'm faster than Hamilton, Leclerc but Red Bull doubts remain

Max Verstappen says he believes he is the fastest driver on the grid, but has doubts over whether Red Bull can provide him with a car good enough to compete for the title in 2020.

Verstappen took two victories in Austria and Germany amid a fine run of form ahead of the summer break, but in other stages of the season, the Dutchman has struggled to make an impression as Mercedes have dominated and Ferrari have found form in recent weeks.

Red Bull's pace struggles have prevented the 22-year-old from genuinely challenging for honours, despite his extravagant talents.

Although Verstappen has no doubt over his own ability, he says recent the recent performance in Singapore, where Red Bull were expected to be strong but could only sneak a podium.

"I personally feel that if I'm in the same car, I can go two tenths of a second faster than them," Verstappen told De Telegraaf of the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.

"When I saw that lap [Leclerc's Singapore pole] again, I thought 'well, there really is some time to be gained there,' I don't want to sound arrogant, but as a driver you have to think you're the fastest.

"I think it's clear that I sometimes overperformed this year.

"People often think 'well Red Bull are not that bad, that team is on the same level as the rest.' In my opinion however, we are often a little further away than it seems.

"Before Singapore, I thought we could compete for the world title next season. Maybe not anymore.

"As a team, we must try to think further ahead than we already have. We are not where we need to be. We have not yet taken the steps needed to be competitive next year."

Related

Latest F1 News

Red Bull chief makes Verstappen ‘ARROGANCE’ claim over Hamilton Abu Dhabi 2021 controversy

• 3 hours ago

Max Verstappen

Verstappen pictured driving F1 rival's car in STUNNING development

• Today 13:20