Max Verstappen stands as the most dominant driver on the current grid without a doubt. The Dutchman has been relentless in his pursuit of a third driver’s world championship, and in doing so, he broke various records. The most prominent on the list was the record for most consecutive race wins, which was previously held by Sebastian Vettel. However, there is something that he inherited from his father Jos, that could cut his F1 career short, as per RacingNews365.
In 2022, Verstappen signed a contract extension with Red Bull, which will see him stay with the Austrian team till the end of the 2028 season. As such, the Dutchman has plenty of time to overtake the most significant record in the sport, which is the record for most championship wins in a career. Currently, Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher are tied for most championship wins (7), but if Verstappen continues to enjoy his current dominance till 2028, he will accumulate eight titles. However, the Dutchman claims he is not after the record and wants to enjoy his passion for the world of motorsports.
Dutch racer does not believe Max Verstappen can continue his career for a long time
Having set the record for most consecutive race wins in F1, Verstappen stands on the precipice of another. Should he win two more races this season, the 26-year-old will set the record for most wins in a season. Furthermore, if Verstappen were to continue dominating the grid till 2028, he would become the driver with the most world championships to his name, with eight titles.
Given the same, RacingNews 365 quotes another Dutch Racer, Jeroen Bleekemolen, as being in awe of all his fellow countryman has achieved. However, he also believes the three-time World Champion would not be able to continue his dominance for long.
“If he wants to go on for a long time, then he can break all records, but I don’t feel like Max is out to go on for a very long time. Of course we would all find that very unfortunate, but I also think it is beautiful.”
Bleekemolen added that this is the norm of the Verstappen family. Both the father and the son are pure sportsmen and only focus on their immediate goals. Long-term plans do not bother them, and fame and money hardly play any role in motivating them to go out and achieve the best results.
Helmut Marko has contrasting views on Verstappen’s approach to records
Verstappen has claimed he does not care about the records in F1 on many occasions. However, Red Bull’s Helmut Marko believes the records are a driving force behind the Dutchman’s dominance, and he wants to own them all. To further boost Verstappen’s confidence and motivate him to continue chasing the rest of the records in the sport, Marko says the Dutchman is yet to maximize his driving potential.
By saying so, Marko has set another challenge for Verstappen as he gears up for a seemingly competitive 2024 season. Given the sudden and incredible rise of McLaren in the last two races and Mercedes’ plans of a resurgence, the upcoming season might see a three-way battle for the Driver’s as well as the Constructor’s championship. As such, Verstappen continuing his dominant form will be crucial for Red Bull, with Marko believing the best is yet to come from the Dutchman.
