“He still has the killer instinct,” Tom Coronel believes Imola GP is crucial to Max Verstappen’s title hopes » FirstSportz

Max Verstappen, the 2021 Formula 1 World Champion, currently sits sixth in the Drivers’ Championship after the first three races of the 2022 season and one of the main reasons for that is the DNF winning start that Verstappen has caught during the current F1 Season.

According to Dutch driver Tom Coronel, the upcoming Imola Grand Prix is ​​of great importance to Verstappen and he believes his Dutch compatriot cannot afford another DNF place or a bad result at Imola.

Verstappen currently has just 25 points on the board for his efforts so far in the 2022 season, while his main rival Charles Leclerc has already built a 46-point lead over Verstappen by scoring a ‘mega’ 71 in the first three races points scored.

Tom Coronel has defined Red Bull’s DNFs as “a little KO on the nose”.

“Mainly because they fought for the top prizes last year and now they have the speed again to consistently fight for the podium,” he said.

“I think that’s great, look at Mercedes. With a second place in the first race, a win and now second again [Verstappen] had the speed and that’s what it’s all about. But yes, that also means if you give away twice as many points, you have a serious problem.”

“But in the end you want to compete with two different teams. Like at the beginning of last year, that was of course mega. Then the penny at Mercedes and Red Bull could fall in a different direction every week. That’s what Formula 1 wants and Imola is simply going to be decisive for that.”

Tom Coronel: Max Verstappen’s triumph in 2021 changed his mindset

“I thought Red Bull would already do something about the weight for Australia, but Imola has the biggest upgrades. So the question there is, ‘Are they there or not?’”

Coronel has hinted that Verstappen’s triumph in 2021 changed the way the Dutchman’s mindset works now and while speaking about it he said: “Of course he’s getting older and more mature,” he said. “But it also has to do with the world title that he has in his pocket. Max and Jos (Verstappen) had the goal of becoming world champions together and they succeeded. It sounds crazy, but the goal has been achieved.”

“It’s about the mindset and certainly not about the hunger. When he’s in that car, he still has that killer instinct. I was taught that after 30 years of motorsport.”

“There were moments when I thought, ‘It doesn’t work outside, but it did. That’s exactly why he’s also Max Verstappen and today I’m packing my camper for a different level of racing. In any case, what I want to say is that the title provides a piece of calm.”

However, Coronel has hinted that with Max Verstappen at the wheel, anything is possible.

“With Verstappen, the world title was never entirely lost – last year he did the impossible,” he added.

“With other drivers I might say the chance has already been taken, but due to Verstappen’s attacking mode I’m not saying that just yet. Giving up is not in his dictionary.”

Coronel has backed the 24-year-old Verstappen to make a big push towards the 2022 title in the coming races and given the aggressive driving style Max has in him one would not be in their right mind against the 2021 champion, Max Verstappen to bet.

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