Max Verstappen has been the most dominant force on the grid for the last year and a half. The Dutchman has already racked up 10 wins this year and is showing absolutely no signs of stopping anytime soon. With half of the season still left to go, Max’s father Jos Verstappen revealed, as per American news outlet CarandDriver, the main motivation behind Verstappen’s hunger to be at the top.
Verstappen won a record 15 races in the 2022 season and is en route to breaking it this season. With 12 races already gone, the worst finish this season for the Red Bull driver is P2, which only goes to show how dominant he has been.
Verstappen has been winning races with gaps of more than 20 to 30 seconds to P2. And when he is not, it is because the 25-year-old is not ready to even let go of the single point that is awarded for the fastest lap.
Verstappen pitted from the lead on the second last lap during the Austrian GP and came out 5 seconds ahead of Leclerc. All of this risk is just for one extra championship point. This mentality has played a huge role in the current success that Verstappen is enjoying right now.
The Max Verstappen Mentality
Jos Verstappen recently revealed the motivation that is helping Verstappen push on towards his third World Championship Title. As per CarandDriver, Jos Verstappen said, “Max wants to show who is the best.”
He further explained, “He’s done it again [in Spa]. He’s full of confidence, but that’s also difficult: always being there, in every practice, qualifying and race, but that’s what he’s doing at the moment.”
🗣️ | Verstappen is very motivated to stay on top
“I would get bored if I don’t get the chance to fight for wins. I am really motivated. I love what I do, but also the challenge of actually wanting more, to stay on top, to make the gap even bigger. That’s probably my motivation.” pic.twitter.com/oRU8YTK30F
— RBR Daily (@RBR_Daily) July 14, 2023
This motivation has brought Verstappen to the doorstep of yet another record – something that is currently held by ex-Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel. Verstappen can break the record by the time F1 reaches the Singapore GP.
A historic season in the making for Red Bull
Vettel currently holds the record of having the most number of consecutive race wins, 9. He achieved this with Red Bull back in his championship-winning 2013 season.
10 years down the line, Verstappen is currently on an 8-race winning streak, once again in a Red Bull. He is one race away from equalling Vettel’s record, and if he wins both the Dutch and Italian GP, then it will be a brand new world record.
Red Bull also has the opportunity to make the 2023 season iconic for themselves. The Milton Keynes outfit has won all 12 races that have been held so far and with 10 more to go, the Bulls are aiming to pull off an undefeated season, something that has never been done before.
