"We are experiencing a chain here that does not break" - Ferrari 'paving' Max Verstappen's path to yet another world championship, feels former F1 driver

Max Verstappen secured his seventh win of the 2022 season last weekend at the French Grand Prix after comfortably taking the checkered flag after his title rival Charles Leclerc, for the third time this season, retired from the race. With this result, the Dutchman further extended his lead in the drivers' standings to 63 points.

Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher believes that Verstappen's shot at a second consecutive championship this season is almost assured and that Ferrari has played a big role in this.

As reported by Speedweek, Schumacher admitted that Leclerc "threw away" a relatively easy win this weekend. He said:

“The path to successfully defending [Max] Verstappen’s title is not only clear, it is also paved by Ferrari. We are experiencing a chain here that does not break. The drivers make mistakes – sometimes one, sometimes the other. Charles [Leclerc] threw away a win this time.’’

Commenting on the role of the new regulations that were introduced ahead of the 2022 season, the German said:

“The new regulations brought exactly what was needed – a change and more exciting sport. Mercedes-Benz regrets that, that much is clear. Other teams came forward. Incidentally, the representation is not correct, that the other racing teams have not moved closer together. Some teams just did their job worse than others.’’

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Max Verstappen not expecting an easy title win in 2022

Despite having dominated the majority of the season, Max Verstappen is still cautious when it comes to his shot at another championship title. Given that there is still half a season to go, the Red Bull driver recently emphasized that he is aware of the potential challenges his team could soon face.

Speaking to Sky Sports F1, Verstappen admitted that he does not think too much about his championship lead. He said:

“We are halfway only, there’s still a lot of races to go. A lot of things can happen so I don’t really look at that lead.”

He added:

“We still have a lot of work to do. We are still behind over one lap. And I don’t expect Hungary to be particularly our best track because I do think we are lacking a bit of downforce compared to Ferrari. And that’s what you need to run there. And so, we’ll face a few tough weekends as well.”

Max Verstappen currently enjoys a 63-point lead over Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, while Sergio Perez seems to be quickly closing in on the Monegasque and could potentially bring himself back into contention for the title.