Max Verstappen has utterly dominated the 2023 season by clinching a record 16 wins so far. Even though he has been a league above his rivals, he too has faced several challenges along the way. One such challenge he faced was during the Qatar Grand Prix weekend, one in which he sealed his third championship by winning the sprint. Several drivers complained about the scorching heat during the main race but the Dutchman was not one of them. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has now revealed the 26-year-old’s secret to bear the severe weather.
Since Verstappen won his championship on a Saturday, Horner revealed on the most recent episode of the eff won with DRS podcast that the Red Bull driver was busy partying after the sprint. As a result, the newly crowned three-time champion had a hangover heading into the main race on Sunday.
“Max is five gin and tonics in…so everybody needs to go to bed [because we’ve got a race tomorrow in 42⁰ heat]. So, on Sunday, we’ve got all the drivers passing out with the heat. I think Max was on some kind of detox,” explained Horner.
The race in Qatar was arguably the most difficult race this season, not because of the circuit dynamics but because of the brutal weather conditions. Several drivers over the course of the race complained about sickness and requested the FIA to reschedule the Qatar GP moving forward.
Even though Verstappen could have taken the day off after sealing the championship, the Dutchman is not one who puts his foot off the gas at any point. Since Verstappen is so relentless, he will now hope to register more wins in the remaining three races of the 2023 season.
Can anyone stop Max Verstappen in the remaining three races?
Max Verstappen will also enter this weekend’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix as the favorite, having been a class above the rest this year. If the Dutchman does manage to win the remaining three races of the 2023 season, he could extend his wins this year to an unbelievable 19. However, the likes of Mercedes and Ferrari are unlikely to make it easy for Verstappen and Red Bull.
With Mercedes having brought in successful upgrades recently, Lewis Hamilton has managed to provide a hard time to the Red Bull driver in the past couple of races. Moreover, Ferrari too are bringing an upgrade to this weekend’s Sao Paulo GP that they believe will help them to fight for the win.
