There were moments during the dramatic 2021 F1 title contest when Verstappen still looked a little raw. The occasional mistake and regularly overstepping the mark in wheel-to-wheel fights with Lewis Hamilton showed that he perhaps wasn’t quite the full package, even though Verstappen took the crown in the farcical Abu Dhabi finale.
But there has been far less of that this year. Verstappen has been fair in his fights with Charles Leclerc and, even in the events where he has had to come through the field (such as at Spa and Monza), he has shown patience and an ability to let a race come to him rather than desperation.
How much of this is due to Verstappen maturing and how much can be put down to the different circumstances (and cars) of 2022 is the subject of Alex Kalinauckas’s in-depth analysis in this week’s issue.
We also take a look at the latest movements in the F1 driver market and delve into George Russell’s chances of beating Leclerc to second in the standings given Ferrari’s troubles.
The big UK event last weekend was the fantastic Goodwood Revival. Jenson Button looked set to take his first win on UK soil since October 1999 before trouble struck Adrian Newey’s Jaguar E-type. It’s probably fair to say that some of the cars were rather more historic than others, but there was plenty of superb driving and great racing, as Marcus Pye highlights in our bumper report.
Away from racing, Tom Howard speaks to World Rally Championship contender Thierry Neuville and tin-top ace Norbert Michelisz about their unusual recent Hyundai car swap, while Jessica McFadyen swaps her screen for a Formula 4 machine at the Skip Barber Racing School.
James Newbold also talks to Kenneth Hansen about the potential of the new all-electric power in the World Rallycross Championship.
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