Jos Verstappen: I liked Lewis’ lap pass

Jos Verstappen, father of Max Verstappen, commented on the results of the race in Imola, which ended with a confident victory for the reigning world champion.

Jos Verstappen: “Max had a great race weekend at Imola. I think he performed incredibly well, didn’t make a single mistake and kept everything under control. Red Bull has certainly taken a step in the right direction. Of course we knew that the car will get updates in Italy, but the weather made it difficult to compare. However, we can say with confidence that we have grown stronger.

On Saturday during the sprint we saw the first signs of this. Max ran into Charles Leclerc, forcing the Ferrari driver to attack harder, leading to increased tire wear. In Italy Max and Red Bull are putting pressure on Ferrari and when you’re under pressure it’s easy to make a mistake. If you lead by a wide margin, the chance of making a mistake is much smaller. Max had a perfect weekend.

Frankly, I liked when Max Hamilton overtook with a circle, taking into account all the events of the past year. Hamilton is going through difficult times, while his teammate George Russell manages to keep his balance. Not so often there is an opportunity to overtake Mercedes in a circle.

In addition, according to Laureus, Max is recognized as “Athlete of the Year”. I didn’t think about it before, but now I have to say that this is a special achievement and a great honour. Max became the first Dutchman to receive this award. It is safe to assume that Max is one of the most distinguished athletes in the history of the Netherlands. It wasn’t until Monday that I found out that Max had thanked me in his speech. I am touched by this beautiful gesture.”