Max Verstappen’s 7-Year-Old Brazilian Masterclass Foreshadowed 2023 Dominance

Max Verstappen’s 7-Year-Old Brazilian Masterclass Foreshadowed 2023 Dominance

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.

Post Edited By: Somin Bhattacharjee
Jos Verstappen Max Verstappen Niki Lauda Red Bull

About the author

Anirban Aly Mandal

Anirban Aly Mandal is an F1 writer at The SportsRush, with over 1000 articles under his belt, Anirban's love for F1 started when he discovered a copy of F1 2014 on his computer. With over half a decade's worth of time spent religiously following the sport, he’s dived deep into the world of motorsports. However, Anirban's expertise goes beyond just writing - he has also written several academic papers focused on the domain of motorsports and the law. His passion for the sport is so immense that he aspires to work as a legal advisor in the most prestigious racing series in the world someday. When it comes to Formula 1, Anirban finds great pleasure in re-watching classic races and idolizes the likes of Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell, and Sebastian Vettel. His top picks include Brazil '91, Silverstone '92, and Germany '19. Outside of the sport, Anirban is an avid sim racer, often found racing on titles like Assetto Corsa, F1 22, and Automobilista. Apart from his interests in gaming, Anirban has a keen interest in philosophy, literature and music.

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