Former world champion Jacques Villeneuve has a clear idea of who he’s backing in the ongoing title fight between Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, and Max Verstappen. According to Villeneuve, the Dutchman has a significant advantage over his two title rivals: ‘McLaren still has two drivers battling for the championship.’ Villeneuve advises Red Bull to use the internal McLaren title fight to put pressure on the British racing team.
Formula 1 is not only on the eve of the Grand Prix weekend in Qatar, but perhaps also the climax of the title fight. After the race at the Lusail International Circuit, Lando Norris only needs to gain two points on Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri to clinch his first world title. However, former driver Jacques Villeneuve would rather put his money on the reigning world champion.
Gambling on Verstappen
“I would still put my money on Max Verstappen as champion this season, but with a very small margin,” the 1997 world champion tells a betting platform. The Canadian immediately explains why. “Because of Verstappen’s experience and the fact that McLaren now has two drivers battling for the championship. They can’t yet use one to help the other.”
“Red Bull can capitalize on this,” Villeneuve continues his analysis. “They can put pressure on McLaren in this way. In that respect, they have the advantage. They just have a points deficit.” Although the former F1 driver thus prefers Verstappen over Norris and Piastri, Villeneuve sees particularly the Brit also potentially clinching the title. “The McLaren is still a faster car. Norris is really in top form at the moment. But so is Verstappen. It will be fun to watch,” concludes Villeneuve.
