The start of each new F1 season has fans and teams beaming with hope. There is the potential for every driver to achieve something extraordinary and take the world by storm. Given the same, predictions are often a popular trend in the early days of a season. Jumping on the same bandwagon while conversing with Dutch Viaplay (clip uploaded on X by user Nini,) Max Verstappen gave his predictions for the 2024 season.
Starting things off with which driver will win a Grand Prix this year, Verstappen opted to not fill in his own name. Instead, he wanted to mention someone who has yet to win a Grand Prix in F1.
Hence, he predicted at least one race win for McLaren’s Lando Norris. Verstappen then answered how many Grands Prix he (himself) would win in 2024. Opting for modesty, the three-time defending world champion said, “Twelve.”
Verstappen detailed the reason behind opting for such a ‘low’ number. He claimed if he wins more than 12 races, he can say, “I did a better job.” Next up was the question of when will the 2024 championship be decided. For this, the Dutchman predicted, “I think, with three to go.” Per the season’s calendar, it shall be the Brazilian Grand Prix that decides the championship.
For the top three rankings in the drivers’ championship, Verstappen opted to look past his teammate, Sergio Perez. Instead, he claimed it would be him, Lewis Hamilton, and Charles Leclerc. Finally, it was time for a bonus prediction.
Verstappen had to pick the biggest surprise of 2024, and he took his time to think about it. Eventually, the three-time world champion said it would be Visa Cash App RB. He detailed one of their drivers might finish in a podium position and become the surprise of the season.
Former world champion places his bet against Max Verstappen?
Max Verstappen isn’t the only F1 world champion rolling the dice on predictions. A former two-time world champion is also hit with the fever of predictions. Finnish former driver Mika Hakkinen uploaded a video on his Instagram, where he spoke about the chances of Verstappen reciprocating his 2023 dominance.
Hakkinen believes Verstappen might not be able to repeat his 2023 performance. However, should the RB20 be a “superfast rocketship, then everyone else is in trouble.” Having recorded the video before the pre-season testing in Bahrain, Hakkinen isn’t sure of his prediction anymore.
After watching the three-day testing, Hakkinen claimed teams like Mercedes, Ferrari, and McLaren may challenge Red Bull for the constructors’ championship. However, Verstappen has little to fear, as he is on a different level with his car.
Hence, Hakkinen believes even if other teams can close the gap on Red Bull, Verstappen will still find enough pace to win the drivers’ championship. Hakkinen, however, might need to update his predictions following Verstappen and Red Bull’s dominance in Bahrain.
