Sir Jackie Stewart wants Max Verstappen to end Lewis Hamilton's reign - 'We need a change'
Max Verstappen is well-placed to end Lewis Hamilton's dominance within F1, and Sir Jackie Stewart thinks the sport needs a new champion.
Hamilton takes stunning win after crash with Max Verstappen
Sir Jackie Stewart thinks F1 needs the 'change' of Max Verstappen beating Lewis Hamilton to the world title. The Red Bull driver produced a dominant drive at Sunday's Mexico City Grand Prix, finishing comfortably ahead of his British rival to extend his overall championship lead to 19 points.
Despite Mercedes surprisingly out-performing Red Bull in qualifying to achieve a front row lock-out, Verstappen made light of his disadvantage with an exhilarating start.
He went past both Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas, who was sitting on pole, and never looked like relinquishing his grip thereafter with the Brit forced to fend off Red Bull's Sergio Perez in the closing laps in order to finish second.
The win was Verstappen's ninth in 18 races so far this season, and he now heads into this Sunday's Brazilian Grand Prix as strong favourite to win his maiden F1 crown.
That scenario would be welcomed by Stewart, 82, who thinks Hamilton missing out on a record-breaking eighth world title would not only be healthy for the sport, but could even reinvigorate the driver himself.
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"I think Verstappen is going to win it. I think the Red Bull now is going, the Honda is obviously good, very good, the team knows how to win," said Stewart, himself a winner of three world titles.
"Mercedes-Benz has been doing this for so many years now and has been successful for so many years.
Hamilton, 36, has won six of the seven championships that have followed, the only blip coming in 2016 when his then teammate Nico Rosberg edged him to the title.
However, despite appearing in a commanding position Verstappen, 24, is refusing to get carried away with just four races of the 2021 season remaining.
He won the last Brazilian Grand Prix in Sao Paulo in 2019 but despite now having notched back-to-back wins in America and Mexico, he told reporters after his latest win that form will count for little this weekend.
“Ah no, there is a long way to go. It’s, of course, looking good but also it can turn around very quickly but I’m looking forward to Brazil. I have also very good memories there.
“I don’t believe in momentum, so, every single race we have to try and nail the details and we didn’t do that yesterday (qualifying), so you know, things can go wrong very quickly, or can go right.