“You have to force Hamilton to go with Chico,” Max Verstappen said over the radio during the US Grand Prix. It was impressive that Verstappen plotted the team’s strategy over the radio during the race. According to Robert Dornbus, it is a sign of Verstappen’s “extra ability” behind the wheel.
Dornbos told Ziggo Sport that Verstappen’s strategic announcement is a sign of his maturity and natural talent. “It’s hard at all to keep the car on the right track,” says the former Minardi driver. “The fact that Max can also contribute ideas about strategy shows that he has some extra energy behind the wheel.”
Verstappen isn’t the only driver who likes to strategize while driving. Lewis Hamilton can be heard regularly on the radio with announcements about strategy, albeit less decisive than Verstappen. For example, the ruling world champion made a decision in Turkey to stay out of the country, while the team wanted to switch to new intermediaries. Sebastian Vettel is also known for his strategic intervention behind the wheel. During his time at Ferrari, he was regularly opposed to the questionable decisions made by his team. He saved the finish point in Hungary last year. But Vettel isn’t without fault either: In Hungary, the German made the strange decision to switch to spots on a slippery track, potentially losing points.
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