A driver who is both brilliant and aggressive, sometimes a little too much, “Mad Max” has a lot in common with Vettel, notably the fact of having achieved his four in a row, early in his career, with the same team (Red Bull ). If the German was 26 years old when he achieved his quadruplet and holds the youth prize, the Dutchman, who turned 27 at the end of September, is right on his heels. Conversely, Prost was 38 years old when he won his fourth and final coronation during the final season of his career in 1993.
Max Verstappen, like Sebastian Vettel before him, benefited from the technological superiority of the Austrian team, which exploited the new technical regulations in 2022 much better than its competitors.
He flew through the last two seasons
Thus, after a first title snatched from Hamilton during the last race in 2021 against a breathless Mercedes, the Dutchman flew through the following two seasons.
In 2022, he set the record for victories in a season with no less than 15 successes in 22 races, a mark shattered in 2023 when he won 19 of the 22 Grands Prix on the calendar.
With seven victories in the first ten GPs, Verstappen’s unchallenged domination seemed set to continue in 2024. But the machine stalled, with competition which clearly got closer, like McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari. After his success in Spain at the end of June, the Dutchman went ten races without a victory, a first since 2020, and saw the Briton Lando Norris (McLaren) come dangerously close.
But thanks to his talent, he compensated for the loss of speed in his car and always managed to limit the damage to maintain a comfortable mattress on the Englishman. His resounding victory at the Brazilian GP at the beginning of November, starting in 17th position in difficult weather conditions, reminded us of the champion that he is.
Max Verstappen, who has never been a fan of statistics, refuses to be compared to other drivers.
One March 2024: Max Verstappen royal in Bahrain in first F1 race of the year
Jacques Villeneuve’s analysis
“He had a great season when he beat Lewis (Hamilton) for his first title. Then he had easy championships, like Lewis. And this year he fought. So it’s been a great season. But you can’t compare Fangio’s era to today. These are different eras. You can’t say who among them is the best of all time. The sport has changed too much,” Canadian Jacques Villeneuve, 1997 F1 world champion, declared a few days ago to the online betting site Grosvenor Sport.
Although he has set numerous records during his ten seasons in F1, Verstappen does not necessarily aspire to become the “GOAT”, the most successful driver in history and does not see himself remaining for another ten years in the premier discipline of motorsport.
“At the moment I have a contract until 2028. I will be 31 at the end of it. Of course, it’s still very young, but I started when I was 17. It’s a long time in Formula 1,” he told American media Road & Track this week.
“I don’t have to stay and try to prove myself. I don’t have this need to win eight or nine titles.”
