Max Verstappen warns Red Bull over being complacent after a strong Mexican GP, says he is ‘focused on winning record 17th race’ at Brazil

Max Verstappen has won 16 out of 19 races this season and is aiming for his 17th at the Sao Paulo GP.

Max Verstappen warns Red Bull over being complacent after a strong Mexican GP, says he is ‘focused on winning record 17th race’ at Brazil

Max Verstappen (via IMAGO)

2023 Drivers Champion Max Verstappen believes his team, Red Bull, needs to calm down and focus ahead of the Brazilian GP. The Red Bull driver believes the team is confident, which is good to see, but they also shouldn’t lose their focus. The Dutchman is aiming for his 17th win of the season and upping the benchmark also previously set by him.

Verstappen has already won 16 Grands Prix this season and wants to aim for a number higher. His winning streak from the 2023 Miami GP to the 2023 Italian GP set up the record for the most consecutive race wins in a season. It will be nearly impossible to get around that record again. He has won 84% of all races this season and scored 92% of all points available until the Mexican GP.

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In his recent interview, Verstappen pointed out that the team shouldn’t let themselves become complacent and think that the job is done after the strong Mexican GP. There are still three races left where the team’s second driver, Sergio Perez, needs to defend his P2 spot in the Drivers Standings.

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Coming off of a good race in Mexico. We are confident going into this weekend, but need to keep our focus."
Verstappen said, as reported by F1 Chronicles.com.

The Dutchman missed out on a win last year after an early crash and a part stuck under his car throughout the race. So he is focused on redemption and securing the record 17th race win. 

I am appreciative of all of the hard work and effort everyone in the team is putting in. I'm glad we can show that on track. Now the focus is on the 17th win!"

Lewis Hamilton is ready to bet on Max Verstappen winning the remaining three races of the season

The seven-time World Champion Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton thinks there is no one stopping the Dutchman from winning the remaining three races of the season. If it is true, Max will become 19 Grands Prix winner out of 22 in the 2023 F1 season. This would make the Red Bull driver the one with the most percentage of races won in a single season.

Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton (via IMAGO)

“I hope, these last few races will be close,” said Hamilton.“But I’d still probably put money on that Max’ll get to 18, 19 wins with that car,” he concludes. According to him, every team on the grid needs to work very hard to develop next year’s car so that the case of this year doesn’t repeat.

The three remaining races on the 2023 F1 calendar are the Brazilian GP, the Las Vegas GP, and the last race of the season, the Abu Dhabi GP. These closing rounds would be very important for drivers and teams alike to finalize their position in the Drivers and Constructors Standings.

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