Honda boss sets Max Verstappen target in final six races in Lewis Hamilton title battle

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Max Verstappen has been told what he must target to become world champion with the F1 title race set to go down to the wire. Verstappen currently leads Lewis Hamilton, already a seven-time world champion, by just six points with six races of the 2021 season remaining.

The next instalment of what has been an enthralling battle will take place in Austin, Texas, this weekend, home of the American Grand Prix.

Following that, the schedule takes a two-week break before a potentially defining period in November, with races over three consecutive weekends in Mexico, Brazil, and Qatar.

The season then culminates in December with races in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi.

Verstappen, 24, took the title lead from Hamilton with a second-placed finish in Turkey a fortnight ago, with the British driver finishing fifth after incurring a 10-place grid penalty. However, the race yielded warning signs for Red Bull, with Mercedes noticeably quicker all weekend.

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However, Honda’s managing director Masashi Yamamoto feels Verstappen, 24, is still in pole position to be champion, and must target victory at three venues in particular.

Honda supply the Red Bull engines and the 57-year-old told Auto Sport Web: “I guess Max wants to keep the lead, especially after the races in Mexico and Brazil.

“And overall, I think we’ll be able to get three more wins: in addition to the races just mentioned, I think we’ll be able to get success in Abu Dhabi. I don’t want to say anything about Qatar and Saudi Arabia because we don’t know them yet.”

Despite Verstappen failing to make an impression on race winner Valtteri Bottas in Istanbul, Yanamoto was pleased with how Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez, as well as Scuderia AlphaTauri drivers Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda – who also use Honda engines – helped him to a crucial podium place.

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Hamilton started 11th on the grid, and the 36-year-old’s attempts to cut through the field and close the gap on hid Dutch rival were held up, especially by Tsunoda.

“It was a race in which the three (other) Hondas worked as a team to help Max Verstappen achieve his second place. All four of them, overall, did a great job, starting with Tsunoda and then moving on to Perez and Gasly: they all managed to put pressure on Hamilton,” added Yamamoto.

“Specifically. I’d like to pay my compliments to Tsunoda. He held off Lewis for eight laps, while everyone else gave up within a lap. He didn’t make any incorrect moves, and it was a shame he spun on lap 22.”

Hamilton has a formidable record in America, having won five races there in eight years.

However, the last of those wins came in 2017, with Kimi Raikkonen and Bottas winners in 2018 and 2019 respectively.

The 2020 race was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Hamilton himself said this week he’d be targeting a win in every remaining race this season as he bids to become the first ever F12 driver to win eight world titles, but conceded that would be a tough ask.

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