"They only look at Abu Dhabi" - Max Verstappen claims he doesn't need to prove a point in 2022 F1 season

Max Verstappen claims he does not need to prove a point in the 2022 F1 season due to his dominating performances in 2021. The Dutchman is often accused of having won through unfair means.

The reigning world champion had a stellar 2021 season, having taken the fight to Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton despite having an allegedly inferior F1 car. The Dutchman broke Michael Schumacher's long-standing record for the highest number of podiums in a season - with 18. Verstappen also proved his prowess around a lap, picking up an outstanding 10 pole positions over the course of the season.

Many, however, believe the Red Bull driver won the championship only due to a late safety car in the season finale in Abu Dhabi. When asked if he has anything left to prove in 2022, Max Verstappen said in a pre-Grand Prix press conference:

“No, I proved that with the most wins, most poles and most laps led (in 2021). People forget that. They only look at Abu Dhabi apparently. We have more races than only Abu Dhabi in a season.”

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Max Verstappen claims it will be difficult to improve upon 2021 performances in 2022

Having been extremely dominant in the 2021 season, the Dutchman is unsure whether he and his team can win further accolades in the new season. Furthermore, with the new radical regulations set in place, it will be hard to predict the pecking order in the coming months.

When asked if he feels as though he can improve in the new season, Max Verstappen said:

“Well, if you look at last season, we could have had more wins and pole positions. But you need a really competitive car to be able to do that. So it’s going to be more difficult to do something like that again, but of course, you always try and do better. So I hope we have a really competitive car again so we can reach something similar.”

Max Verstappen and Red Bull have shown signs of once again having a dominant car in 2022. The team, along with Ferrari, are favorites going into the new season due to their consistent performances during both pre-season testing periods.

Verstappen placed comfortably in the top-five during the first practice session of the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix despite having driven on medium tires. While it is likely that other teams such as Mercedes and McLaren will hide their true performances ahead of tomorrow's qualifying session, Red Bull and Ferrari will continue to be fan favorites for the season opener.