Mercedes have been the team to beat since the Brazilian GP weekend. Lewis Hamilton, despite starting from the back, won the race in the most dominating style. With insane grit and focus on the track, he outclassed his opponents in Qatar emphatically, including championship rival Max Verstappen. Now, Former F1 driver, Ralf Schumacher, believes that in normal circumstances, Verstappen will lose to Hamilton in 2021.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
With only two races to go, Max leads the championship race by 8 points. He will have a chance to wrap the title in Saudi Arabia if he wins the race and provided Lewis finishes below sixth. But realistically, the title will only be decided in the last race in Abu Dhabi.
WATCH STORY: Top 5 wins of Max Verstappen’s F1 career
Ralf Schumacher gives his opinion on the Hamilton-Verstappen title fight
As reported by Motorsportweek, the former F1 driver stated that the Mercedes have a more stable package as compared to Red Bull. He also revealed that the Dutch driver needs to have luck on his side to beat the 7-time world champion now.
“The Mercedes is currently the more stable package,” said Schumacher.
“Max gives everything and shows how good he is. Under normal circumstances, however, he has no chance. Maybe he will have the luck that he has lacked so far.”
“If he had that already at the beginning of the season, he might now be world champion,” said the former Williams driver.
READ MORE: The F1 Points System Explained
“Mercedes is fast enough and does not have to cheat”- Ralf Schumacher
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
There has been a lot of controversy regarding the sudden surge in Mercedes’ pace. Ralf Schumacher mentioned that the German team does not need to cheat and have often shown their caliber and the potential they possess.
“We have seen again here [in Qatar] that Mercedes is fast enough and does not have to cheat. I do not assume that any team wilfully disregard the rules. If you go close to the limit, something can always go wrong and you get into grey areas,” said Ralf.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Although the former F1 driver may have a point, this title fight has subverted expectations repeatedly. So it is premature to announce a winner or favor a team with two races to go.
Do you think Ralf makes a fair point?