"Not marketable Max Verstappen is on the cover of Time magazine" - Fans react to Red Bull driver getting featured on the magazine cover

Max Verstappen recently featured on the front page of Time magazine. The Dutchman has been dominating the sport for the past two years, and he also had an intense battle with Lewis Hamilton in 2021, causing his popularity to skyrocket.

After Time published the magazine with a picture of Max Verstappen on the cover, many F1 fans flocked to the post and reacted to it.

Some pointed out that despite insinuations the Red Bull driver was not marketable, he had successfully made it to the cover of one of the most famous magazines in the world. Many appreciated the three-time world champion and claimed that he deserved to be on the cover.

One comment on X read:

"'Not marketable' Max Verstappen is on the cover of Time magazine, meanwhile the 'Face of F1' is stealing cake from his dogs mouth."

"Deserved. He’s been a different breed this year," read another comment.

Others, meanwhile, praised the excellence of Red Bull as a team rather than Verstappen, claiming that the Dutchman just had a better car. Some even claimed that Adrian Newey, the aero wizard who designs Red Bull cars, should be on the cover.

F1 CEO claims stopping Max Verstappen and Red Bull from dominating would be "wrong"

With Max Verstappen and Red Bull dominating F1 lately, many want something to be done to create a more level playing field in the sport. However, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali recently said that what Verstappen and his team are doing has been a part of F1 for quite some time. He also praised the three-time world champion for all his achievements.

Domenicali told Channel 4:

“I think if you look back at the dominance of a driver or a team, it’s always been a part of F1. We need to consider one thing that for sure, Max Verstappen has done and is doing an incredible job. We need to recognize that."

Furthermore, Domenicali claimed that he does not want people to see F1 as a sport that tries to stop one of their teams and drivers from excelling. He added:

“But if you see today at the gaps in qualified, it’s just incredible. If you look at the numbers of overtaking we are having the last two seasons, we are at the top of the scale. We cannot be seen as a sport that is trying to do something against someone, that would be wrong.”

Verstappen has already won 17 races in the 2023 F1 season, and has a strong chance of winning the remaining two as well.