Max Verstappen explains why he’s a ‘more relaxed driver’ in F1 title battle with Lewis Hamilton

The 24-year-old is closing in on his first world title, leading his chief rival by 19 points with four races left

Max Verstappen has opened up on his mentality amid this season’s Formula 1 title battle, which has the Red Bull driver leading Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton by 19 points with four races to go.

Verstappen’s victory at the Mexican Grand Prix last weekend has moved the Dutchman a step closer to his first world title, as he looks to dethrone seven-time champion Hamilton.

And one of the keys to the 24-year-old’s success so far this season has been his relaxed approach, Verstappen has said.

“I’m a more relaxed driver these days, I have a lot more experience now,” Verstappen said, via GP Blog.

“I’ve been through a lot of different scenarios and situations over the years. It just makes you anticipate a lot more things, and you have so much more knowledge about a Formula 1 car nowadays. All these things just help to make things a lot easier.”

Verstappen is on course to become F1’s fourth-youngest champion of all time, behind Sebastian Vettel, Hamilton, and Fernando Alonso.

Verstappen’s main rival this season, Hamilton, is looking to go clear of joint-record holder Michael Schumacher with an eighth world title, but the Briton faces an uphill battle over the remaining four races.

Hamilton will turn 37 in January and may not have many more opportunities to go clear of Schumacher.

“I mean, it’s a natural thing in F1, right?” Verstappen said, “because every 10 or 15 years, there is a bit of a shift and younger guys come in.

“I definitely think that it’s a little bit more than normal at the moment, with more guys coming in at the same time, which I think is good for the sport as a whole.”