What can Verstappen learn from Rosberg and Alonso in duel with Hamilton?

Matt Gretton - Editor-in-Chief GPblog UK

One of the most crucial key moments in Nico Rosberg's title fight against Lewis Hamilton did not take place during the 2016 season. Rosberg found the ability and strength to fight Hamilton for the 2016 world championship during the closing stages of the 2015 season. Hamilton had secured the 2015 championship by winning the United States Grand Prix. The season then saw Rosberg win the final three races in Mexico, Brazil and Abu Dhabi, allowing the German to gain crucial winter momentum. Rosberg continued this momentum by winning the first four races of the 2016 season. After a string of wins by Hamilton before the summer break, the Brit even took the lead in the championship. Does that all sound familiar? But again, it's crucial that Rosberg resumes in good form. Historically, Hamilton starts slowly and builds. Other statistics confirm this: Hamilton has only won the opening race of the season three times in his career. Pretty bad by his standards. And he has only won the first race after the summer break three times.

In short, this shows that Max Verstappen needs to return from the summer break in strong shape. It sounds obvious, but if Verstappen wants to win this world championship, it is crucial that he stays ahead of Hamilton early on to really put the pressure back on. He needs to attack and get the best possible results when Hamilton is not quite 100% and historically that is after the breaks.

Bram Huisers - Editor GPblog NL

Lewis Hamilton of course already has the necessary experience when it comes to title fights. In 2007 he came up just short, 2008 fell just the right way and in the years with Nico Rosberg there was constant tension. Especially when it comes to mental attitude Hamilton has an edge on Verstappen. The Brit knows what mindset he needs and when to attack or take a wait-and-see approach.
Verstappen doesn't have that experience (yet), although he has shown this year that he can make longer term decisions which can have a positive impact later in the season. If the Dutchman can learn anything from Hamilton's old title rivals, it is to play mind games with the Brit. Nico Rosberg managed this tremendously well, going all out to work out the details.
Verstappen can also learn a lot from Fernando Alonso. Whereas Rosberg mainly tried to play mind games off the track, Alonso also did so on the track. Think back to Hungary 2007, when the Spaniard kept Hamilton waiting long enough for him to go for a final fast lap. Hamilton used this tactic in Hungary this year too and it probably won't be the last time we'll see something like this in Q3.

Toby McLuskie - Editor GPblog UK

Aside from looking at World Championship fights through the years, Verstappen might need to pick up some tips from Fernando Alonso's defensive drive in Hungary if the Mercedes car has a stronger race package compared to the RB16B at some circuits later this season. As was seen in the Hungarian Grand Prix, Fernando Alonso put on one of the best defensive stands in recent years as he held Lewis Hamilton behind him for 10 laps. This allowed Esteban Ocon to take victory in Budapest and could allow Verstappen to do the same in the immediate future. The Spaniard's awareness and defensive prowess allows him to hold off many drivers, including the seven-time World Champion, for a number of laps. If Verstappen was able to continue developing this skill, even in the slightest, it would easily give him a better chance of holding drivers behind him, including Hamilton later in the season.

Tim Kraaij - Editor-in-Chief GPblog NL

It's perhaps not even so much about what Verstappen can learn from Nico Rosberg and Fernando Alonso, as each driver is unique. Verstappen will never go as far in the mind games (if at all) as Rosberg did, nor will he ever put everything within a team on edge as Alonso has done in the past with his action in the pit lane on Hamilton in 2007.

What Verstappen can learn from is where Hamilton is vulnerable. After all, the Briton has shown vulnerability on several occasions in the past, but Sebastian Vettel didn't get this squeezed out of the Brit in 2017 and 2018, for example. So what should Verstappen be wary of?

First of all, Hamilton does have a sensitivity to mind games. He learned a lot from that with Rosberg, and has since added that component to his own repertoire. You can see that in the press conferences. What Verstappen did well in the first half of the season was not to care. Vettel, for example, often responded to these attacks and Bottas too often feels compelled to defend himself. Only when you respond will it feel like a victory to Hamilton. As soon as he notices the games aren't working, he starts to falter. This was particularly evident during Red Bull Racing and Verstappen's good run, with five wins in a row.

Hamilton's second weakness is dips. The Briton's results are often poorer at the start of the season and just after the summer break, but he also has the occasional race during the season when things don't work out. Monaco was one example this year, but it has happened more than once in the past. Think of the dramatic start to his 2016 season, or real off weekends like Austria 2020, China 2007, Brazil 2008 or Germany 2019. Verstappen will have to take full advantage of moments like these to beat Hamilton.