Mercedes has been winning the Formula 1 World Championship uninterruptedly since 2014. Of the seven championships it has won since then, six (the last four in a row), it has achieved them through Lewis Hamilton . This hegemony has tired many fans and also many drivers, who have not hesitated to position themselves in favor of Max Verstappen in the fight for the World Championship. If recently it was Fernando Alonso who was positioned on the Dutchman’s side, now Yuki Tsunoda has done it.
The Japanese did not allow himself to be overtaken by Lewis Hamilton during the Turkish Grand Prix and kept him behind him for the first eight laps of the race, something he spoke about at the end. “It’s Honda’s last year and I want Max to win , Honda’s last year, and also for Red Bull, so I tried to keep Lewis behind as much as possible, I don’t know how many laps,” acknowledged Yuki Tsunoda. ” I tried to keep him behind for 20 laps, eight laps is not enough, ” added the AlphaTauri rider.
The beauty that Hamilton has invented to pass to Tsunoda 😍
Outside. What happened! # TurkeyDAZNF1 🇹🇷 pic.twitter.com/XjtcmNPv7M
– DAZN Spain (@DAZN_ES) October 10, 2021
Yuki Tsunoda’s fight with Lewis Hamilton reminded many of the one he had with Fernando Alonso at the Hungaroring. ” Alonso seemed to be driving for Red Bull, ” noted Austrian team boss Christian Horner after the two-time champion’s display at the Hungarian Grand Prix. ” We know that Fernando Alonso is not a big fan of Lewis Hamilton as we saw in Budapest, so we expect more help, ” added Helmut Marko, advisor to Red Bull.
Alonso places Verstappen ahead of Hamilton
However, Fernando Alonso prefers to remain oblivious to the fight for the World Cup: ” Of course I like to fight with good drivers, but I think Red Bull really has to do it for itself this season .” Even so, the Spaniard could not help showing his preference for Max Verstappen. ” I think he’s at his best right now, I consider him the best in the paddock right now, ” he said about the Dutchman. “Now I think he has reached a level of maturity that is very high and, with his natural speed, it becomes quite difficult for anyone to beat him. So I think he is the favorite for this year and probably for the next few years to come ”, assured Fernando Alonso.
Bottas also wants to prevent Hamilton from winning
Not even Valtteri Bottas wants to be an ally for Lewis Hamilton despite being teammates and despite the good relationships that unite them. And, as the Finn declared after winning the Turkish Grand Prix, he can still win the World Cup. “Theoretically, I still have a chance to win the title . But if I can’t be a champion, let Lewis be ”, he declared.
Valtteri Bottas, who next season will be relieved at Mercedes by George Russell, is 79.5 points behind Lewis Hamilton in the standings and 85.5 behind Max Verstappen . Considering that there are only six races left until the World Cup ends, the Finn needs a miracle to say goodbye with a title that has been his team for the last five seasons.
From a 2-point deficit to a 6-point lead 👀@Max33Verstappen leads after 16 rounds! #TurkishGP 🇹🇷 #F1 pic.twitter.com/bcFJRshYdR
— Formula 1 (@F1) October 10, 2021
Red Bull puts pressure on Mercedes and Hamilton
As Christian Horner recently noted, of the remaining six races, half are in favor of Red Bull and the other half in favor of Mercedes. “There are no more circuits like Monza and Sochi, where Mercedes has an advantage. They won in Turkey last year, but we were both strong in Austin. Afterwards we are always stronger due to the altitude in Mexico and Brazil. We are still not sure about Qatar and Saudi Arabia, then there is Abu Dhabi. I would say that it will be half and half in the remaining circuits ”, commented the Austrian team boss.
“ It is the first time that Mercedes and Toto are in a situation of total challenge . Until now, they had been calm, with the pilots booked and with the whole engine in place. They have done a great job of establishing a winning dynamic, but they had no real competition , ”said Christian Horner.
“ This season there is a real competition between two teams and there is respect between us. Of course, I think we operate differently and that may be the key to this Championship. We like this battle and when Toto gets nervous, everything is more fun ”, he finished trying to pressure both Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton.
