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Max Verstappen's star has only been on the rise since 2020. He defeated the formidable Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time world champion under the most intense circumstances. Human error or not, Verstappen's brilliant run in 2021 and 2022, solidifies his place in the list of F1 greats.
Max Verstappen does have contemporaries like Charles Leclerc, George Russell, or even Hamilton to challenge. Though he has arguably been lucky with Adrian Newey's beautiful production of Red Bull cars, his sheer talent in taking the car to victory deserves its own recognition. It is no small feat that the driver could be starting P20 on the grid, and by race end, comes out on top.
He is decisive and authoritative on the grid, giving him all the more edge to take the lead. The Dutchman knows that he needs to push very hard to take a victory and that he has done so, ever since the 2016 F1 Spanish GP. Over the past seven years, he has handled the pressure of being a Red Bull driver immensely well, proving his worth as a pilot and being the biggest factor in the team’s resurgence to number one.
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Let's take a look at why Max Verstappen is the possible next big star of the Formula 1 grid.
#5 Max Verstappen has years of experience alongside a world title
Verstappen is honestly kind of an archaic entity on the F1 grid. He's only 24 now, but entered the grid when he was barely 17 years old. His talent was an immensely captivating point for team Helmut Marko and co. who immediately picked him up from F3. The Dutch Lion was a prodigy in their eyes and did not even compete in F2 to reach F1.
Even eyed by Mercedes, he ultimately decided to enter the sport with Toro Rosso. He has now gained enough experience after numerous crashes and whatnot, to know how to lead the race without any pressure. This was evident most recently during the 2022 F1 Canadian GP when he looked calm as ice while Carlos Sainz trailed him closely.
Max Verstappen has come into his own by not making a single mistake and matching the likes of Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton to keep leading calmly. With one world title to his name and another possibly on the way, the grid looks like his to conquer.
#4 The only one to live up to Red Bull's expectations
To lay out the facts: Daniel Ricciardo, Daniil Kyvat, Carlos Sainz, Pierre Gasly, and Alex Albon have all either left or were removed from the Red Bull seat after being unable to match either Max Verstappen or worse, Red Bull standards. The Austrian unit expects its drivers to adapt as soon as they can and finish consistently in points.
Some of these drivers were barely given six months and were demoted to sister teams mid-season. None of these drivers have ever again made it back to the Red Bull seat, with only Perez becoming the best teammate so far for Max Verstappen. The Dutchman, on the other hand, has always had the car under control irrespective of its build. Somehow, he always lands at the top irrespective of his car issues.
#3 Max Verstappen is a generational talent
You're reading it right. Max Verstappen is indeed touted as a generational talent of his day and age. Keeping in mind that the 24-year-old has not always received a championship-worthy car, he still managed to make an impact by consistently making it to points and podiums despite his young age.
Max Verstappen now has 29 race wins to his name in F1 and has already made it to 71 podiums in his 8 seasons, which is much better than many drivers on the current grid. There was a point in 2022 when Verstappen would either win a race or not finish it. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has even gone on to say:
“I think he’s very much a mature package now. He’s got experience behind him but he’s still very, very young. He’s hugely talented and is using his experience, using his head and his drive, his determination is undiminished. So he’s just evolving still as a person and as a driver. It’s very difficult to compare drivers. We’ve had some amazing drivers but he is certainly right up [there].”
#2 Verstappen is the best driver amongst his contemporaries
The current F1 grid consists of some immensely talented drivers like George Russell, Charles Leclerc, and Lando Norris. Russell and Leclerc are also widely credited with brilliant junior careers. Though their entry to F1 has been much later than Max Verstappen's, they're still carving out a path for themselves, while the Dutchman sits statistically better than them.
In the age group of 24s, Russell and Leclerc's career stats are way lower than what Max Verstappen has achieved. Further, Leclerc, who has been a close rival this year, has failed to match up to Verstappen's level anywhere. For example, they both started at the back of the grid during the 2022 F1 Belgian GP, but Verstappen jumped places and was leading by Lap 11. Leclerc, on the other hand, was both unlucky and struggled consistently.
During the 2022 F1 French GP as well, the Monegasque spun around to give Verstappen the lead. It went on to only prove exactly how difficult it is to bear the championship's pressure, which Verstappen did without making mistakes. Clearly, Verstappen emerges as better amongst his compatriots.
#1 Red Bull's consistent support to Verstappen as they excel
It looks like Red Bull are in for another run of dominance as they did back with Sebastian Vettel from 2010 to 2013. With Christian Horner and Helmut Marko acting as the team's lead, the unit together has been exceptionally brilliant, awarding Verstappen the very edge he needs.
The team is in its top form, coming up with brilliant solutions during the worst of days and somehow putting Verstappen ahead of the rest of the grid. It is no surprise that they fully support their golden child, Verstappen, who is counted on to win further championships.
As the team and Verstappen continuously excel, Mercedes' dominance is fading away. Ferrari, on the other hand, are up to no good with the team not looking championship ready. Amidst Mercedes car problems and Ferrari's mistakes, Red Bull and Verstappen look ready to dominate in the coming few years.
