George Russell, Lewis Hamilton, and Carlos Sainz have congratulated Max Verstappen on his fourth world title. While the drivers are impressed by how the Dutchman has won the drivers’ championship for the fourth time in a row, they believe they can compete against him in equal machinery. “No one is unbeatable,” says Russell.
Despite Max Verstappen crossing the finish line in fifth place in Las Vegas, the Dutchman clinched his fourth world title on the street circuit in the gambling city. As the Red Bull driver did not finish in the top three, he was not present at the FIA press conference for the top three drivers of the race. Yet, the Dutchman’s world title was the main topic of discussion there.
George Russell, Lewis Hamilton, and Carlos Sainz congratulated the Red Bull driver on his world championship win. It is the fourth consecutive world title for Verstappen, but the three drivers do not see him as unbeatable. “No one is unbeatable,” Russell begins.
The Mercedes driver has experience competing against a world champion, teammate Lewis Hamilton, and therefore will not shy away from a battle with Verstappen. “Lewis is the greatest of all time. And Max is just as good as Lewis. So yes, I absolutely believe in myself and that we can compete against him in equal machinery.”
‘We can all compete against each other’
According to Carlos Sainz, the drivers were already able to beat Verstappen during the second half of the current season. This was because Red Bull no longer dominated, and all teams were closer together. “(Verstappen) was extremely good at not making mistakes in the second half of the season. And that has earned him, in my opinion, driver of the year and the championship. But the second half of the season just shows that if we all drive in equal, more equal machines, we can all compete against each other and make life difficult for each other.