Verstappen admits: 'At that moment I thought: we are going to win it'
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Max Verstappen refused to comment on it until there was absolute certainty, but he admits there was a moment when he became convinced he more or less had the 2022 world title in his pocket.
Crucial moment in title battle Verstappen and Leclerc
Verstappen said there were a few moments when he thought Red Bull Racing's chances were high, but it was only after the French Grand Prix that he became convinced that that second world title was coming his way. "I think the moment where I thought, ‘now we are going to win it’ was after Paul Ricard, where the lead increased by quite a bit," he explained after crossing the finish line victorious at Suzuka.
Both Verstappen and title rival Charles Leclerc were on their way to a good result in that race, but it was Leclerc who led in the early stages of the race. However, when Verstappen came in for his stop, the Ferrari driver allowed himself to be rushed and made a very costly mistake that saw him end up in the wall. Leclerc's DNF meant that Verstappen's points lead increased from 38 to 63 points.
A tough moment for Leclerc, but for Verstappen a moment that made him realise he could not give away his lead again. "We had a quite competitive car, I knew it was going to be quite close in the coming races, but I was like, ‘this is a gap which we cannot give away anymore'," said the two-time World Champion.