Verstappen dislikes sprint race: 'Subsequent races were not great'

Max Verstappen remains level-headed when asked about the championship. The Dutchman continues to increase his lead over Lewis Hamilton, but the driver warns that with four races to go, a lot can still change.

This weekend will see the third and final sprint race of the season. "So far we have always done well in the sprint, but in the subsequent Grand Prix it didn't go so great", Verstappen is quoted on Speedweek.com. Indeed, at Silverstone the Dutchman crashed out after a collision with Hamilton and things also went wrong between the two title rivals at Monza.

The Dutchman is not a big fan of the new format. "All the excitement in the sprint comes at the start, after that there are not many overtaking manoeuvres. So in the end it doesn't matter where the sprint takes place. Personally, I like the classic format better."

In recent seasons, Red Bull has always been strong at the circuit in Brazil. Verstappen remains wary of Mercedes despite the strong car. "On this circuit, we were good the last few years, that may be true, but a lot has changed since 2019. I'm under no illusions: Mercedes were competitive in Mexico last time, so they will be too here."

"My lead in the championship was also big before, then it was completely gone after two races, so I'm not changing my attitude. I look at it race by race and try to make the best of it every time. I don't want to think about the title", Verstappen says.