Red Bull "would be stupid" to switch focus from F1 title - Max Verstappen

Verstappen celebrates — Photo: © LAT Images

Red Bull

Red Bull "would be stupid" to switch focus from F1 title - Verstappen

Verstappen leads Hamilton by 32 points after nine races

Ewan Gale

Friday 9 July 2021 12:44

Max Verstappen has insisted it would be "stupid" for Red Bull to let up in the chase for F1 glory after storming into a healthy lead in order to focus on 2022.

The Dutchman took his third successive victory at last weekend's Austrian Grand Prix to open up a 32-point advantage over F1 title rival Lewis Hamilton as he looks for his first championship.

Asked by Sky Sports F1 whether he was reassured by Dr Helmut Marko's claim that attention would not switch to 2022 with the championship available, Verstappen said: "It was all about how competitive we would be at the beginning of the year.

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"Of course, we were, so it would be stupid to just let it go. Nevertheless, I still have a lot of trust in next year but we focus on this year first to try and win it."

On whether Sergio Perez was the ideal team-mate to help achieve the title win, he added: "Yeah, I have a good relationship with Checo and it is going really well.

"We are leading the constructors' and I hope we can keep that up as well. We need both cars because all the time we try to be ahead of them [Mercedes]."

Verstappen 'will not relax' in quest for title

Verstappen's victory was Red Bull's fifth in a row, with rivals Mercedes struggling for form since winning the Spanish Grand Prix in May.

When asked if it was his championship to lose, Verstappen replied: "Both. It is both, from both ways.

"I have always said there are no guarantees and I will not just relax and sit back and think everything is great, everything is amazing because every time we have done a race we look at things we can improve and that is what we have to do the whole year and always try to improve the car.

"I look at myself as well at how I can improve and we need to just keep that approach in the team."