Max Verstappen won the 37th race of his F1 career at the 2023 Australian GP. The win marks Red Bull’s first race win at Albert Park since 2011 when Sebastian Vettel won after starting from the pole position.
With the win, the Dutchman matched Ayrton Senna’s total of 80 podiums. He also managed to level Michael Schumacher’s tally for the number of different tracks to have won an F1 race.
The 2x champion extended his lead in the championship by 15 points. While the season has just begun, it’s already safe to assume that there is no stopping Verstappen from winning the title again and claiming a hattrick of championships.
Max Verstappen takes his first win Down Under! 😅
The Dutchman’s victory marks @redbullracing‘s best-ever start to a season!! 🙌#AusGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/Lz9Qvv2qF0
— Formula 1 (@F1) April 2, 2023
Verstappen won with ease in Australia
Although Max Verstappen won the race with ease, it was quite a chaotic race for the remaining drivers. The race was riddled with collisions and saw red flags being waved a record 3 times. A total of 8 cars retired early from the race, the highest since the 2012 Australian GP which saw 9 cars retire.
Yet, the Dutchman steered clear of the drama and dictated his own pace. He was overtaken in the first lap by both Mercedes cars of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton. However, the 2x champion managed to reclaim the lead after the first safety car restart by overtaking Hamilton.
Max Verstappen has matched Ayrton Senna for career podiums.
He’s still only 25 🤯 pic.twitter.com/vhHMnZOpFZ
— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) April 2, 2023
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko was impressed by the Dutchman’s race. He said, “He has done extremely well. In the beginning, he was a little restrained, not too aggressive. He kept some distance and struck at the right time,”
The Red Bull advisor had little to say about the FIA’s decision regarding red flags and race restarts. But the Austrian was all praises for his marquee driver.
Marko added, “Max controlled the race and made no mistakes. But we’ve gotten used to that from him. When he’s in the lead, you know it’s going to be okay.”
Max Verstappen deserves of $55 Million a year contract
In early 2022, Red Bull offered newly crowned world champion Max Verstappen a bumper contract. The new contract allowed the team to hold on to the Dutchman’s services until the end of the 2028 season.
As per the new contract, Verstappen is set to earn $55 Million per season as per season, making him the highest-paid driver on the grid. However, Helmut Marko believes Red Bull’s prodigal son deserves the salary.
Marko claimed, “Max is definitely the best driver at the moment.” The Austrian believes the perks of the Dutchman signing such a long contract can be seen in the current season.
Many circuits. Much wins.
Max Verstappen equalled Michael Schumacher’s total for the number of different tracks to have won an F1 race, with only Lewis Hamilton ahead of the pair 👀#F1 #AusGP pic.twitter.com/nYgp9dT8iN
— Autosport (@autosport) April 2, 2023
He stated, “It was one of the best decisions we made to sign such a long contract with him. That stability is very important for the team and Max now also has certainty.”
The new agreement is thought to be the longest driver contract ever signed in F1. This could see Red Bull and Verstappen could dominate F1 for 6 more seasons. If the 2x champion receives a competitive car, he could easily beat Michael Schumacher’s longstanding record of 7 championships.
