Jolyon Palmer, a former Formula One driver who now works as a TV pundit, claims that Red Bull had to be flawless to beat Lewis Hamilton to victory, despite having the faster car in the United States.
Lewis Hamilton’s relentless pursuit of Max Verstappen in the United States has been hailed by Jolyon Palmer, who claims that his relentless pressure forced Red Bull to produce an inch-perfect race in order to beat him.
Hamilton fell behind Verstappen after dominating the race at the Circuit of the Americas until the first round of pit stops, and kept up relentless pressure on the Red Bull driver as the Mercedes looked to appreciate the Hard compound tyres more than Verstappen did.
Verstappen and Red Bull provided the precise race that Hamilton’s pressure demanded over the course of the 56-lap encounter, and Palmer commended both sides for their efforts.
“Maybe this was a race that Hamilton simply couldn’t win,” Palmer wrote in his post-race column.
“Given [that] Red Bull had the faster car, but with Hamilton driving the wheels off the Mercedes as usual, it still needed a perfectly-executed race from Red Bull to stop him and that’s what they provided.
“Once Hamilton was undercut at the first stop, Red Bull took the race out of Mercedes’ hands, by pre-empting their second stop and pitting early.
“Even then it was exceptionally close, but the management of the race by Verstappen was sublime and meant that he had enough tyres left, so that Hamilton couldn’t quite get close enough to launch a proper offensive.”
Palmer stated that he expected Mercedes would win the US Grand Prix, but that Red Bull’s command of the race has given the Milton Keynes-based team the advantage.
“I thought Austin might favour Mercedes, especially given Hamilton’s previous form at the circuit, and Mercedes’ strong pace since the summer break, but the fact that Red Bull could still win, even when Hamilton was driving at his very best, will give them an enormous boost heading to a circuit they’ve always been strong at.
“Verstappen was downbeat after Turkey, thinking that Mercedes might be picking up momentum. In one fell swoop he has turned it on its head.
“With a perfect drive, Verstappen has just cemented himself as favourite once more, and if he were to go on and win the title this year, a race like Austin might be looked back on as a champion’s drive.
“Even with the momentum, though, there is no let-up.”
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