"You need luck to fight for seven or eight titles” – Max Verstappen believes emulating Lewis Hamilton’s achievements in F1 would require a dominant team 

Max Verstappen claimed that while driving ability is definitely a winning factor in F1, having a dominant team and car is more important. The Dutchman compared himself to Lewis Hamilton, who contested for an eighth world title in the sport but lost out on the final lap.

In an interview with personal sponsor CarNext, Verstappen spoke about his championship campaign, highlighting his mindset and what it takes to win against some of Lewis Hamilton's caliber. The interview was conducted by David Coulthard, who asked the Dutchman what his plans for the future were. Max said:

"Everything that comes now is a bonus and I am just going to enjoy it."

Coulthard agreed with the Red Bull world champion and praised his attitude. The Briton went on to say that generally drivers of Max Verstappen's caliber are always hungry for more title wins. The Dutchman responded:

"You need a bit of luck, isn't it? to be able to fight or seven or eight. You need a very dominant team to be able to do that so. You don't always have that luck or you are not in that era so it just doesn't happen. So for me, I always wanted to win one and then see where you go from there. But that doesn't mean that if I lose a race I won't be upset. But still a few minutes after I'll be like 'That's okay'".

Max Verstappen claims he can still improve in 2022

Despite winning his maiden title in the sport, Max Verstappen believes he still has scope for improvement heading into 2022. The Dutchman was in top-form in 2021, achieving a tally of 18 podiums this season without ever seeing the third step. In the same interview with CarNext, the Dutchman highlighted a few key areas where he can improve. He said:

"For me, I always say to myself, you're never perfect in any area. So let's say you're at 98 percent, whatever you can call it, I always look at it [as something] I can always improve. Because it's not, 'I can improve massively in this or massively in that'. It's just tiny things, or, how can I try to influence the weekend a bit better? How can I prepare myself better? How can I make sure that I understand the balance of the car better for qualifying, or race?"

With rival Lewis Hamilton's return contingent on the outcome of the ongoing FIA inquiry, Max Verstappen is being backed as the clear favorite by many heading into the new season. The Dutchman is all set to return alongside Sergio Perez for Red Bull, with whom he claims he wants to stay with for "another ten or 15 years".