Brundle Expects More Aggressive Approach From Verstappen: 'Will Be Going For It Big Time'

Tuesday, 15 October 2024 at 14:00

Former F1 driver Martin Brundle said he doesn't expect Max Verstappen to have a reserved approach in the final six race weekends of the 2024 season.

The 1997 Formula 1 Champion Jacques Villeneuve recently said he spotted a change in Max Verstappen's driving style. He suggested the 27-year-old is taking much fewer risks.

With his sizeable lead in the Championship, Verstappen is aware that the only thing he must avoid is colliding with others and retiring out of a race.

The former Canadian F1 driver asserted it's very clever for the Dutchman to purely focus on consistently scoring points and not risking everything for race victories.

However, Sky Sport's Martin Brundle doesn't think the Red Bull Racing F1 driver will stick with this approach in the final nine races (including three sprints). As quoted by Sky Sports, he said:

"No, I don't think Max does seeing out. I think he'll be going for it big time."

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"And one of these next six - don't forget we've got three Sprint races as well that will generate some points - I think Max could win one or two of those somewhere and just turn the tables a little bit more."

As it stands, multiple drivers mathematically can still catch up with the Dutchman, but realistically, only Lando Norris from McLaren is close enough to pose a threat if Verstappen keeps finishing at least inside the top 10.

The 24-year-old showed much more speed than Verstappen in the last couple of races, and some pundits, like Nico Rosberg, asserted that he shouldn't be discounted in the fight for this title.

Red Bull's motorsport advisor, Helmut Marko, on the other hand, isn't really concerned. He stated that Verstappen is mentally stronger than the McLaren driver.

While he doesn't necessarily agree with Marko, Brundle also suggested we have yet to see whether Lando Norris can cope with the pressure mentally. He said:

"He's got the speed, the team have certainly got a great car. I think Lando is growing and learning and getting more and more confident."

"Chasing and being chased are completely different stories in any sport, so if he gets near to winning the world championship, whether it's this year or next year, how strong is his head?"