AUSTIN, Texas – If there ever was a time for Max Verstappen to flinch in this riveting Formula One championship battle with Lewis Hamilton, it would have been Sunday in the closing laps of the U.S. Grand Prix.
The young Dutchman seeking his first series title was being chased by the seven-time champion, and Hamilton was rapidly closing in on the lead under the hot Texas sun at the Circuit of the Americas.
The intensity of the tightest championship duel in years might have derailed a different driver – especially when Hamilton pulled within a second on the final lap – but Verstappen thrived and won for the eighth time this season.
“It was exciting, the pressure was on, not knowing how quick Lewis was going to get you,” Verstappen said. “We managed to hang on at the end.”
The victory doubled Verstappen’s lead over Hamilton to 12 points in the standings with five races remaining and could prove to be a pivotal win in this showdown, a classic in the making.