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Max Verstappen does not make those little mistakes anymore that used to plague him at the start of his career. This was the view of former F1 driver Mika Salo when asked to compare where Max Verstappen holds an edge over other drivers. Speaking to racingnews365, Salo said that Max had things more in control as compared to his teammate Sergio Perez and hence, enjoyed a clear gap over him.
If one compares the Red Bull driver to Charles Leclerc, then it would appear as though Verstappen does not make any mistakes and that's where he pulls the gap over the Ferrari driver as well. Salo said:
“The Red Bull suits Max very well and he drives it brilliantly. Sergio Perez can't keep up with him at the moment either. He was closer at the beginning of the season, but the gap is now very big again. I think Max has the car and tactics much better under control. Max has a lot more self-confidence.’’
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He added:
“He already has a title in his pocket and constantly wins races. That self-confidence is Max's strongest point. He doesn't make any mistakes anymore, whereas a few years ago he sometimes did. That is completely gone now. Max is the perfect driver and he can play with Leclerc because of that.’’
Salo also pointed out that while Verstappen can have full faith in what his team is doing in terms of strategy, Leclerc cannot and because of that, there is an added factor in play whenever the Ferrari driver is on the track as compared to the Red Bull driver. He said:
“I think at Red Bull there is more experience, also in working with Max. Leclerc is still a bit more uncertain. He has less confidence because things go wrong so often and he feels less support from the team. For him, it must almost feel like waiting to see what would go wrong next. That while Max knows he has a good car, which is fast, and his team also rarely make mistakes. That makes a big difference.’’
Max Verstappen is the favorite to win the title: Mika Salo
When questioned if there was a possibility of a fightback from Ferrari, Mika Salo was reluctant to commit. The former Ferrari driver felt that Max Verstappen was the favorite for the title as he already enjoys such a huge lead in the championship over Charles Leclerc. Salo said:
“It will be very difficult. Verstappen would have to be really unlucky, but Max is in an excellent position. There are not that many races left and he knows he doesn't even need to win races to become champion. It's not in his DNA to be second, he wants to win every race.’’
He added:
“Mercedes may be able to win a race if Max and Charles get in each other's way once, or Mercedes have a perfect strategy and some luck. It looks like Red Bull will take all the prizes and dominate.’’
Max Verstappen currently enjoys an 80-point advantage in the championship over Charles Leclerc and will be a strong favorite for the title heading into the second half of the season.
