Max Verstappen has faith that Red Bull will still deliver in 2022 despite the team putting their focus on the 2021 season. The Dutchman currently leads the Drivers' World Championship from title rival Lewis Hamilton, whilst Red Bull have a 44-point lead over Mercedes in the Constructors' Championship. Given their strong performance, the Milton Keynes-based squad are continuing to develop their car in 2021. This is a different strategy to some teams who have chosen to focus on preparing their cars for the 2022 rule changes instead. Verstappen believes Red Bull were right to take the approach that they have and is not worried about 2022. "I think it was all about how competitive we would be in the beginning of the year," Verstappen told Sky Sports F1. "And of course we were [competitive], so it would be I think stupid to just let it go. "But nevertheless, I still have a lot of trust also in next year, but of course we focus on this year first to try and win it." In terms of preparations for each race in 2021, Verstappen admits it can be difficult to predict which tracks will be stronger or weaker for the team, but the championship leader isn't feeling too nervous about any upcoming circuit. "It's always difficult to say," Verstappen explained. "I mean I expected to struggle a bit in France, for example, and we still got away with a pole and a win, so from now on I think I'm just looking forward to every single track. "There are no guarantees, but there is not a single track where I think I'm going to be too afraid, so that's good." In terms of his mindset in approaching every Grand Prix, Verstappen says he has had to change from previous years given that he is now fighting for the World Championship. "It needs to be like that," the 23-year-old said about his mature attitude in 2021. "Before I could take more risks because I had nothing to lose. "I would always finish third or fourth anyway in the championship, so it's a very different mindset, which I knew would come if I had a competitive car and now we do, so naturally of course you have to think different because every single weekend you need to score points."
Most read
