“I think since I had an identical car, I was always within two, three tenths and even last weekend [in Las Vegas], consistently FP1 to FP3, there was multiple laps I was ahead of him.”

“So yeah, I think I’m showing what I can do,” he continued, “and I don’t think within my seat [others have] consistently [been] able to drive like this close.

“At least what I remember, last few years, I didn’t see much drivers like this, able to achieve like this step in the middle of the season and went through very, very difficult moments with the beginning of the season.

“But yeah, I think it’s just a matter of now, I’ll try to help Max next race. But, like I said, [the] pace is there and I don’t think a normal driver can live with it in my seat yet.”