Column: Jos Verstappen - Criticising Hamilton is too easy
Published on 29 April 2016 by Stefan Meens
Jos Verstappen is still the Netherlands most successful Formula 1-driver. This season also, he shares his opinions regarding the sport via a column in the Dutch daily newspaper De Telegraaf. Below the latest edition.
"The Sochi circuit in the Olympic Park still has an atmosphere of the previous winter Olympics. When I joined Max on his track walk on Wednesday, I noticed how tidy and colourful – the numerous flags really add to that – the place looks. In that respect I'm impressed with what the Russians achieved here. It cost a lot and it looks like the facilities aren’t used that often, but the place does have allure that suits Formula 1.
The track itself is a proper 'stop-and-go-circuit' with many ninety degree corners. Mechanical grip is key and it is difficult to make a difference. So I think if the Toro Rossos race for P8-P10, they're doing a good job.
One of the conclusions you can draw after three races is that the midfield is tied together very closely. The new tyre rules play a big part in that. The teams can now chose from three compounds per weekend. It means there are more options when planning your race strategy which results in a higher chance of surprises. It's probably one of the better regulation changes made in F1 in the past few years.
In the background, there's still a lot of talk regarding the 2017 rules. It's certain the cars will become wider and so will the tyres. It means the cars will look more aggressive. That's a good thing because the drivers have rightly voiced their concern that overtaking will become more difficult as the cars gain more and more downforce. And at the end of the day, fans want to see overtakes.
However, closing the gap between engines is the most important thing for the sport. Currently, Mercedes still holds the advantage. Bernie Ecclestone is right that people don’t want to watch a race if they know beforehand who's going to win. There's is plenty of excitement this season, but it's mainly found in the midfield. It would be better if we had that same excitement at the front.
The scales at Mercedes have tipped in Nico Rosberg's favour so far this season. He won the remaining three races last year and won the first three this season. I like he's having some succes and I think he's motivated to show what he's made of. He knows now is the time to shine after a couple of unconvincing years.
A lot of people say Lewis Hamilton's poor races are a result of his extravagant life style, but I think that's taking the easy route. To me he still looks very focussed. And you have to be honest, luck wasn’t on his side in the last few races. It could change at any moment. Who knows, he could win the next five races.
Jos Verstappen
Source: Telesport/De Telegraaf
