Toto: Verstappen has a psychological advantage as a chaser, and a DNF can change the situation

Hupu News on October 21 According to RN365 news, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff believes that the "chaser" Max Verstappen in the driver's championship battle is using his "psychological advantage" to put pressure on the leader Oscar Piastri.

In the F1 US Grand Prix weekend, Verstappen was chasing points with a full score of 33 points (sprint winner + race winner), while Piastri only scored 10 points. At the same time, McLaren has stopped development of the MCL39 racing car, and Red Bull's upgrades will help Verstappen return to the championship. As a senior manager who has competed with Red Bull and Ferrari for intra- and inter-team championships, Wolff pointed out that the Dutch driver has "no fear of losing" in his pursuit of the fifth championship.

Wolff explained: "I followed the development of the situation with the interest of a bystander, because I had experienced a similar scene where two drivers were competing for the championship and were being chased by a third person. At that time, it was Max, and later it was Sebastian (Vettel). The 'chaser' always has a slight psychological advantage - from a probability perspective, Max's chances of winning are indeed very low."

"I have been. Calculating his chances, it's about 19% to 21%. Although the probability is low, a retirement (DNF) can completely change the situation. I think it will also affect the driver's driving style, such as how aggressive he can be when overtaking? "

"Like when Lando (Norris) passed Charles (Leclerc) at the end of the race, sometimes it is difficult to decide whether to take the risk. "