'As long as he can do that, Verstappen's championship is safe'

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F1 Mika Hakkinen predicts championship Max Verstappen Lando Norris
17 October at 16:30

It's all to play for in the drivers' championship at the last six events of the Formula One season. The title fight between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris continues this weekend at the Circuit of the Americas, with the Briton trying to chase down Verstappen. According to the former two-time world champion, Mika Hakkinen, the Dutchman is safe, given he continues to do one thing.

" t’s going to continue to be the battle between Max Verstappen’s Red Bull and the McLaren of Lando Norris that everyone is watching for. Max has won here for the past three years but the McLaren looks stronger and more consistent at the moment and Lando is going to try and close the gap in the World Championship for Drivers," Hakkinen began in his column for Unibet on the site.

Hakkinen: 'Verstappen safe as long as...'

"In my opinion he is safe as long as he can keep finishing on the podium, and bearing in mind Ferrari might also steal victories and points away from McLaren. It’s a close race. The one thing Max cannot afford is a non-finish," concluded the 1998 and 1999 Formula One world champion.

Verstappen is yet to win since the Spanish Grand Prix, and out of the four Grands Prix after the summer break, he could finish on the podium twice behind Lando Norris. The current gap between the two opponents stands at 52 points in the standings, with Red Bull also bringing an update to this weekend in order to fix their previous issues.

This article was written in collaboration with Esteban den Toom


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