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Max Verstappen has revealed he had no intentions of making it look easy for Mercedes in the final laps of the 2021 F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
In an interview with Sky F1 at Red Bull's factory in Milton Keynes, Verstappen was asked about his mindset during the final 10 laps of the race. The Dutchman replied:
"It looked very tough out there. Of course, I could see they were quicker. I think we tried everything as a team and I also said to myself, 'I'm just going to do everything I can. I'm just going to drive to the limit. I'm going to give it my all and I'm not going to make it look easy for them.'"
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The 24-year-old also lauded teammate Sergio Perez for his defensive driving during the race, saying:
"At the end of the day, that always kept us within the pit-stop window and it was also because of the incredible work by Checo (Perez). That was just incredible what he did."
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner was heard saying they needed a miracle heading into the final laps of the race. The miracle came in the form of safety car following a crash by Nicholas Latifi on lap 54.
It allowed Verstappen to switch to soft tires, a gamble that paid off on the last lap of the race, when race director Michael Masi set up a single-lap dash to the finish line with a string of controversial decisions.
Lewis Hamilton's misfortune was Verstappen's boon as the Dutchman stormed to his maiden world championship.
Max Verstappen signs deal with Viaplay
Verstappen has signed a multi-year deal with streaming service provider Viaplay starting in 2022.
Viaplay owns the F1 broadcasting rights in the Netherlands. They also own broadcasting rights in all Baltic and Nordic countries and will be able to stream F1 in Poland from 2023.
The 24-year-old is expected to be joined by his father Jos Verstappen for all Viaplay content. He will also be the brand's ambassador for all markets where they own F1 broadcasting rights.
