Max Verstappen appears to have won it all in the last several years. The 26-year-old recently clinched his third championship, propelling him into the ranks of F1 legends. With his outstanding performance this season, Max Verstappen is likely to surpass his previous record for most races won in a season(15). So far, he has won 14 of 17 races, a dominating run that has sparked a continual debate about whether Red Bull’s domination is due to his racing prowess or the rampaging RB model. After his dominant performance in 2023, there were rumors and facts that with Sergio Perez’s performance downfall, Verstappen had single-handedly won the team’s sixth constructors championship. However, according to GPFans an F1 expert has stated that the Dutchman only helped 14% to win the title.
Verstappen’s dominance began last season, when he won 15 of 22 races, breaking the record for most points in a season as well as setting the record for most wins in a season. Continuing his outstanding record, he has rewritten history this year. As of right now, he has 10 poles and 10 consecutive wins. Besides, he also helped Red Bull break McLaren’s 35-year-old record by winning 12 consecutive victories alongside Checo. His recent championship has now left him with only a few drivers to conquer in order to reach the top three F1 drivers.
After winning the 2013 title things haven’t been easy for Red Bull, who witnessed Mercedes dominate the hybrid era. Despite that, the team was able to obtain a dominant RB18 and 19 thanks to the genius of aerodynamic god Adrian Newey. While driving that car, Max looked like he won everything, while the other Red Bull driver, Sergio Perez, struggled to put on a show.
How good has Max Verstappen been over the seasons?
According to GPFans, Bert Wagendorp, a columnist at De Volkskrant, has provided the F1 community with a fresh perspective on Max Verstappen’s supremacy. According to the analysis in the report, a driver is just 14% responsible for the success of the car. During his explanation, the expert attempted to summarize Verstappen’s hegemonic control in four factors.
MAX VERSTAPPEN.
THREE-TIME WORLD CHAMPION! 👑👑👑 pic.twitter.com/IvcQOA5wu4
— Formula 1 (@F1) October 7, 2023
Wagendorp begins by underlining the Milton Keynes factory’s unwavering commitment to producing high-performance vehicles, which rapidly provided the Dutchman with a competitive advantage. Secondly, Adrian Newey’s technical expertise, who has designed over a dozen championship-winning vehicles, has proven a technological wizard for the team. Later, the columnists addressed how Verstappen’s heritage, which stems from his racing gene, offers the three-time champion a natural affinity for identifying the optimal racing line. Wagnedorp concluded by pointing out that optimal car performance accounts for 14% of success.
In a sport like Formula One, where the team plays a significant role in the success of a driver, Wagendorp believes that two of the Dutchman’s compatriots Femke Bol or Mathieu van der Poel, should get the title of “Sportsman of the Year.” This is because of the fact that their success depends totally on their individual performance.
Why Max Verstappen doesn’t deserve the “Sportsman of the Year” award
Following his four factors to explain F1 success, the journalist also revealed that Max Verstappen does not want the title to be a fair thing. In one of his recent interviews at the QatarGP. Max Verstappen discussed being nominated for Sportsman of the Year. According to the Dutchman, he does not want to win the award since it’s a ridiculous price and not fair.
F1: Verstappen does not like ‘best athlete’ titles https://t.co/VGSqhZCysv Max Verstappen says he would like to be excluded from “stupid” athlete of the year awards nominations. pic.twitter.com/d1cPffK9MX
— AutoRacing1.com (@AutoRacing1) October 6, 2023
In light of Verstappen’s comments, Wagendorp believes that the Dutchman is in a fair position and, according to GP fans, explains the matter in his own manner. He said, “ That seems to me to be a fair position, Max himself seems to realize that his activity with sports has little to do.” Finally, the journalist concluded by outlining the Formula One reality, which sums up his point of view on Verstappen receiving the award for his efforts. Wagendorp said, “ The sporting image of Formula 1 is bought with a lot of money, but it all has little to do with sport as sport is meant to be.”
Having said that, with only 5 races remaining, it will be interesting to see how Verstappen handles the task of winning all of events and setting a record that will stand for decades.
