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Laurence Edmondson, F1 Editor
SUZUKA, Japan — Max Verstappen believes anyone who is unable to appreciate Red Bull’s dominance of Formula One this year is not a true fan of the sport.
Prior to Carlos Sainz’s victory at the Singapore Grand Prix, Red Bull had won 15 consecutive races, including every race this year, with Verstappen securing the final ten of those in a row.
Verstappen’s success this season, which will likely see him crowned a three-time champion at the Qatar Grand Prix next month, has led to criticism that F1 is becoming too predictable.
Asked if the sport needed more races like Singapore, in which four drivers — Sainz, Lando Norris, George Russell and Lewis Hamilton — were in a battle for the lead, Verstappen said: “Honestly, I have zero interest in that.
“We got beaten and in a very clear way. I don’t think about what’s good for Formula One.
“I don’t think it was necessarily bad what was happening to Formula One, because we were just better than everyone else. If people can’t appreciate that, then you are not a real fan.
“That’s how it goes and that’s why I was super relaxed about it, because we didn’t perform and other people did a better job than us and of course they deserve to win.
“They shouldn’t win because people say it’s boring that we are winning.”
Verstappen, who finished fifth in Singapore, insisted he was not upset about his winning streak coming to end.
“No emotion,” he said. “I mean, yeah, we stopped winning for one race – s— happens. We won ten in a row before that!
“Of course, I would have liked to win there as well but I also know there is always going to be a day or a weekend where you are not winning and things go wrong.
“Unfortunately, it was that weekend, but we just move on and try again.”
Red Bull can win the constructors’ championship at this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix as long as Mercedes don’t outscore it and Ferrari doesn’t outscore it by more than 24 points.
Verstappen said clinching the title this weekend would be fitting given that Red Bull’s engine supplier, Honda, is from Japan.
“It’d be a great achievement and something that we set out to do at the start of the year and something that everyone can be very proud of,” Verstappen added. “Of course, of the year but already leading up to the year to making sure the car is in this state.
“For sure, if we could win it here it would mean a little bit extra for everyone, also for Honda being involved with us. It would be very nice.”
Source: www.espn.com