Max Verstappen has ‘key’ attribute to defeat Lewis Hamilton in title fight – Hakkinen

F1 preview: A lap of the French Grand Prix

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Two-time Formula One world champion Mika Hakkinen believes Max Verstappen has what it takes to win the 2021 Drivers’ Championship. The former driver has pinpointed a ‘key’ attribute that could see Verstappen pip Lewis Hamilton to the trophy this season.

Verstappen has enjoyed a fine start to the 2021 season, winning three of the seven races so far.

The 23-year-old became the World Championship leader for the first time in his short career by winning the Monaco Grand Prix in May.

He then extended his lead over Hamilton to 12 points in last weekend’s French Grand Prix, clinching victory by overtaking the Brit late on.

Hamilton hasn’t faced much competition during his spell of dominance in Formula One, winning the last four World Drivers’ Championships.

However, Verstappen poses a real threat to his reign as world champion, and Hakkinen believes he can take the crown this year.

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“Max [Verstappen] was annoyed to lose the lead at the start of the race,” Hakkinen explained in his Unibet column.

“But I think the way he calmed down and focused on delivering the strong two-stop strategy was really impressive.

“He has matured as a driver, and he now knows what it takes to win consistently. This is the key to winning a World Championship.

“Red Bull have won four Grands Prix this year, while Mercedes have taken three. In reality, Max should have won at least one more.

“So while we can say that the Mercedes remains a very competitive race car, Red Bull is really delivering strong, consistent performances across different types of track.”

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Verstappen will have the chance to extend his lead over Hamilton further over the next two weeks as the F1 tour hits Austria.

This Sunday, it’s the Styrian Grand Prix – the Red Bull Ring – before the Austrian Grand Prix next week.

However, Hamilton will be confident going into the second-ever race on the Red Bull Ring.

The 36-year-old was triumphant in its debut year in 2020, with Verstappen finishing third on that occasion.

There is a different feel about the dynamics now, though, and the Dutchman will be confident of bettering Hamilton once more.

Hamilton hasn’t lost the World Drivers’ Championship since 2016, when his Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg came out on top.

Verstappen’s emergence has thrown a spanner in the works and has made the remainder of the 2021 season sure to be exciting.

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