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Max Verstappen has come into the Saudi weekend seemingly absolutely determined to deflect anything which could distract from his Formula 1 title mission if his super-bland answers in the press conference are any guide.
He was letting not a single sliver of daylight for controversy to creep into his weekend even if the questions he was being asked did not carry the same potential for distraction as those being asked of Hamilton about the host country.
Verstappen can be frank to the point of bluntness if something has irritated him, but here he was playing the bland card to extremes.
Would his points lead give him more freedom than Hamilton to risk contact, he was asked. A potential boobie-trap of a question and batted off with: “It’s not something I have really thought about.”
What about the prospect of winning the title? “It doesn’t matter where we end up because we’ve had a really good season as a team… to be in this title fight to the end is really impressive from our side… we are not looking at others.”
Has fighting Hamilton for the title made him a stronger driver? “I don’t think I’m a stronger driver now necessarily. I had a good season last season and you learn every season and apply it to the next ones.
“I am always trying to be better but never entirely happy…. Fighting Lewis has been good for the sport, the young guy against the established multiple champion. It doesn’t matter if you’re fighting someone my age or an established champion, you know both of them are great drivers.”
There are certainly not going to be any repercussions from a single word of that. Which was almost certainly the thinking behind his approach – just a formality to be ticked off as he prepares to focus on what matters.
