Jacques Villeneuve Questions Max Verstappen’s Lack of Aggression as Championship Lead Narrows

Former F1 champion Jacques Villeneuve has raised questions about Max Verstappen, noting a noticeable change in him.

Jacques Villeneuve observes a noticeable shift in Max Verstappen's demeanor, pointing out that he appears less combative while his lead in the F1 championship diminishes.

The driver from Red Bull faced a challenging race in Baku, struggling with a car that was difficult to control, ultimately securing a fifth-place finish. Verstappen climbed two positions due to a late incident on the track involving his teammate, Sergio Perez, and Carlos Sainz from Ferrari.

Lando Norris, competing closely with Verstappen for the championship and having begun the race at 15th position following a surprising exit in Q1, managed to surpass the Dutch driver, securing fourth place.

Norris's performance has narrowed Verstappen's lead in the championship to just 59 points, marking the third successive race where Norris has chipped away at his lead in the quest for the title.

1997 Formula One world champion Villeneuve has raised doubts about Verstappen in light of his recent challenges.

"Max has seemed quite pessimistic in the recent races. He's lacking his usual aggressiveness on the track and isn't putting up much of a fight," Villeneuve commented while making a guest appearance on Sky Sports F1.

Even when listening to the radio, his presence is scarcely noticed. There's a noticeable shift. It's as though he's aware that victory has eluded him for some time, he recognizes that the car isn't performing to his expectations.

"Currently, his colleague on the team was significantly faster than he was. It's quite an unusual circumstance."

The triple world champion regretted making adjustments to the setup before the qualifying round, which resulted in a poorer performance of his RB20.

"Verstappen expressed to the press, including Crash.net, that the adjustments made for qualifying were costly, making it incredibly challenging to drive."

"The vehicle was bouncing significantly, with its tires frequently lifting off the road during turns. Without maintaining contact with the asphalt, controlling it becomes quite challenging."

"We attempted to implement improvements to enhance the car's performance, but regrettably, our efforts resulted in a decline in its quality."

"The general performance has improved with the new floor. However, we made a few incorrect choices heading into the qualifying rounds, which cost us."

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