Max Verstappen has expressed gratitude to people who congratulated him for his outstanding performance in the Japanese Grand Prix, stating that it demonstrates how much he values such feedback.
The four-time F1 champion was lavished with praise throughout the paddock following his incredible qualifying performance, which secured him a crucial pole position and let him to lead the race from the front en route to a historic fourth consecutive victory at Suzuka.
Fellow champion Fernando Alonso called Verstappen’s pole run as “magical”; the Dutch driver’s race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, claimed it was “insane,” while team boss Christian Horner hailed his man as “Mr Motivator” after a “inch-perfect” drive in the grand prix.
While the race itself was unremarkable, Verstappen’s performance over the weekend stood out.
When asked if such a display felt as special to him given the limits of the RB21 as it did to others watching it, Verstappen replied, “Yeah, it does.
“It also says, I guess, that I care, despite the fact that we haven’t had the easiest start to the year.
“You know, we’re not performing as well as we could be. That is no secret. But, overall, the weekend has been quite enjoyable.
Verstappen: ‘A lot of things may happen’
Verstappen’s victory, his 64th in Formula One, has moved him within one point of Norris at the top of the driver standings.
Piastri finished third, 13 points behind his teammate, setting up a potential fight royale between the trio until the end of the season in Abu Dhabi in December.
When asked if he expected a three-way fight, Verstappen replied, “I’m not sure. It’s a lengthy season. So many things can happen, right?
“What is crucial is that you constantly strive to improve your performance. That is the only thing you can control.
“So that’s what I’ll try to accomplish, and we’ll see where we are after, say, 21 races. “Good or bad?”
