Max Verstappen has won 16 of 19 races so far in 2023. This is just a glimpse into how dominant the now 3x champion has been in 2023. On the eve of the Sao Paolo Grand Prix, an old video of the Red Bull talisman has resurfaced on Instagram that showcases his elite talent, which even made the late great Niki Lauda tip his iconic red hat to honor him.
Ever since he was strapped into an F1 car at the age of 17, Verstappen has shown that he is a prodigious talent. But the most apparent evidence of it came 7 years ago, in Interlagos at the 2016 Brazilian Grand Prix.
After out-qualifying both, Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel and teammate, Daniel Ricciardo, Verstappen started from the second-row (4th) of the weather-hit Brazilian GP. A strategic error around a Safety Car period meant he came out in 16th, and with a mountain to climb. However, the Dutch lion displayed he had ice in his veins and a bucket-load of talent on his side. He took lines not even the seasoned veterans dared to. After a sublime recovery drive, he clinched the final podium place in sensational style.
It prompted his father, Jos to exclaimed to Ted Kravitz, “I think I’ve never seen something like this! He’s surprised even me today.” In the background, Lauda symbolically tipped his hat. “The way he passed: Impressive. I mean I knew the guy is good but he has proved it again to everybody what he can do,” said the 3x champion himself.
Yet another historic milestone awaits Max Verstappen
Since the 2016 Brazilian GP, Verstappen has gone on to showcase his phenomenal skills on countless occasions. 2023 can be the single biggest advertisement to how menacing he’s been strapped into a championship winning car.
On his way to his 3rd consecutive title, he’s broken many records. Most notably, he became the first F1 driver ever to win 10 Grands Prix in a row, beating Sebastian Vettel to that crown. Now, with 51 wins under his belt, he needs just one more to beat 51x GP winner Alain Prost. If Verstappen wins all the three remaining races, he will eclipse Sebastian Vettel, who sits 3rd in the all-time GP winners list with 53 wins to his name.
As things stand, Verstappen is the hot favorite to win his 4th consecutive title in 2024. But with Mercedes and McLaren hot on Red Bull’s heels, next year may not be a cake walk like 2023. The Brazilian GP could very well be the starting point of Verstappen feeling the heat from his rivals close behind.
