Max Verstappen answers if he will use 2021 tactic against Lewis Hamilton with McLaren duo

During a conversation with De Limburger, Erik van Haren brought up an old comment Verstappen made about Hamilton. At the time, he said the Briton would get “nervous” when he appeared in his mirrors.

There were definitely some mind games going on back then, even Verstappen’s own team have said as much. But this time around, the Dutchman does not feel the need to play those same tricks.

Piastri and Norris do not have titles under their belts yet, which is different from facing Hamilton, who already had seven by that point.

“That’s hard for me to say. Back then, that was kind of the game I played. Will I do that again? I don’t need to.

“Back then, I’d never won a world title. And now I have a few and they haven’t. And you’re inherently more nervous at this stage if you haven’t become world champion yet than if you have those titles.”

‘I’m not going to sit in a corner and cry’, says Max Verstappen on title stakes

After Red Bull attempted to remove Norris’ grid tape in Austin, David Croft urged the team to “grow up.”

While this has been a repeated issue, Laurent Mekies has stated that they will cease this practice.

While Verstappen is not trying to unsettle his rivals, Red Bull have embraced gamesmanship.

The 28-year-old believes he has nothing to lose in his pursuit of a stunning comeback, stating that simply remaining in the race with five rounds left is already a triumph.

“It’s fine to put a little pressure on, right? My mentality remains the same, and I know everything has to be perfect until the very end. We’re going to try. If we make it, it’ll be incredible. If not, well, no. I’m not going to sit in a corner and cry.

“You have to analyse what went wrong. That’s very clear: the first fourteen races of this season have been that.

“But the fact that we’re still in the race is very special, and actually a victory in itself.”