"He just wants to take the points"- F1 journalist draws parallel between 'cool' and 'relaxed' Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton

Max Verstappen extended his already considerable lead in the drivers' standings last weekend after taking his seventh race win of the 2022 season at the F1 French Grand Prix.

F1 journalist Daniel Ortelli believes that the Red Bull driver we see today is very different than the one we have seen in previous seasons. He felt the Dutchman is a lot calmer in 2022 when it came to his on-track performances and off-track reactions.

The French journalist claims that Max Verstappen is only interested in collecting the maximum possible points at every race weekend this season without bothering too much about winning at every Grand Prix, as long as he has maximized the results.

Ortelli drew parallels to Verstappen's 2021 title rival Lewis Hamilton and said:

“It’s strange, because Max now has results the same way Lewis had results before. He was always on the podium, finishing the races. Now we have a new Max who is so cool, so relaxed, that basically, he doesn’t care whether he wins or finishes second or third. He just wants to take the points.”

The reigning world champion has had quite the reputation of being an aggressive driver when it comes to his racing maneuvers on track, especially as seen in his 2021 season. Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton shared some of the most intense rivalries witnessed in F1 last year, with the Dutchman chasing his maiden title and Hamilton fighting for a record-breaking eighth.

This season, however, with the Briton out of contention for the championship title, Verstappen's attitude and approach seem to have changed drastically. Charles Leclerc is in contention for the 2022 title this season and appears to share a positive relationship with the Red Bull driver, something that is certainly reflected on track.

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Max Verstappen expecting Ferrari threat at 2022 F1 Hungarian Grand Prix

Max Verstappen, who now leads the championship with a 63-point advantage over his title rival Charles Leclerc, is not expecting smooth sailing at the upcoming F1 Hungarian Grand Prix.

In a post-race media interaction at Circuit Paul Ricard, the 24-year-old admitted that while is enjoying his considerable lead in the championship, he will not be making the mistake of getting too comfortable. Verstappen said:

“It’s a great lead, but a lot of things can happen. I just want to stay focused. We need a lot more good results. We still need more one-lap pace, and I think the next race is going to be a bit more of a struggle for us, where I think Ferrari is going to be really, really quick. But we’ll see. Again, it’s all about scoring points every single race, even when it’s not your day.’’

So far this season, there has only been one race that Max Verstappen completed but finished outside the top three. This was when he took on severe floor damage during the 2022 F1 British Grand Prix and finished the race in seventh place.