Saudi Arabian Grand Prix: Verstappen and Hamilton play it cool ahead of crunch time

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix: Verstappen and Hamilton play it cool ahead of crunch time

by Joseph Anthony
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Races in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi bring the season to a close, both on tracks that contain unknowns for the teams and drivers

Max Verstappen cut an unfazed figure on Thursday heading into the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, a race which could bring the Red Bull driver a maiden Formula One world title.

Verstappen leads Mercedes rival Lewis Hamilton by eight points in the standings heading into the seasonโ€™s penultimate race around the Red Sea city of Jeddah.
The 24-year-old Dutchman, who burst onto the scene as a 17-year-old prodigy in 2015, needs to finish at least second and for other results to go his way to clinch his long-awaited maiden title with a race to spare.
But you wouldnโ€™t know it.
โ€œLike Iโ€™ve done the whole season,โ€ Verstappen told reporters in deadpan style when asked how he was approaching the Saudi Arabian race.
โ€œIโ€™ve always been very neutral, not read positive, negative things or in general not read too many things and be busy with other things in life. โ€œI think that helps a lot,โ€ he added.
Hamilton, gunning for a hat-trick of victories with the momentum having swung his way after resounding wins in Qatar and Brazil, looked similarly relaxed.
The 36-year-old seven-times world champion has experienced five down-to-the-wire title battles but is also exploring uncharted territory in his search for an unprecedented eighth world crown, which he acknowledged would count as his most meaningful.
โ€œItโ€™s different in one sense because weโ€™ve got two incredibly close teams, itโ€™s different because weโ€™re fighting for uncharted territory, no oneโ€™s ever won eight titles, team or driver, so thatโ€™s quite fresh and new,โ€ said Hamilton, who will leave Saudi Arabia level on points with Verstappen to set up a winner takes all Abu Dhabi finale if he wins with the fastest lap ahead of the Dutchman.
โ€œThen on the other side Iโ€™m more relaxed than Iโ€™ve ever been. I remember how it was my first championship and even my second and third, the sleepless nights and all those sorts of things.
โ€œObviously, (Iโ€™m) a lot more sure about myself and just applied myself better than ever before. All I can do is prepare the best I can for whatโ€™s up ahead of me and I 100% know I have.โ€
REUTERS

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