Max Verstappen has won the Formula 1 title three times in a row. Photo: Darko Bandic/Reuters
There is a certain irony in this. The fact that Max Verstappen won his last world title in a dirt sprint race, a format he is known to hate and which many do not consider to have anything to do with Formula 1.
However, this doesn't change anything. Even Verstappen's most ardent detractors could not deny that he deserved his third crown in a row. This year the Dutchman was head and shoulders above the rest.
The harder question is whether he deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as Ayrton Senna, Sir Jackie Stewart, Nelson Piquet, Niki Lauda and Jack Brabham — the five drivers he joined in three world titles.< /p>
Is Verstappen an all-time great? What makes an all-time great item? Do titles and race wins give greatness or does a great champion need more in his game? Charisma like Senna? Looking to make a difference off the track like Stewart? Strength to overcome adversity like Lauda?
Niki Lauda (right) was one of the greats Photo: Hoch Zwei/Corbis Sports < p>If these are all the requirements, then we may have to wait a while. It's fair to say that Verstappen doesn't have a ton of charisma. As the son of a Formula 1 racing driver, he spent his entire life preparing for this world. He didn't have to overcome difficulties. And he shows no desire to interfere in politics or the direction of sports. In fact, he openly states that once he's had his fun, he'll leave.
Does that mean he doesn't deserve to be lumped in with the aforementioned names? For some, perhaps.
But what no one can deny is Verstappen's speed and ability behind the wheel. Yes, today there will be those who will say, as they did a few years ago when Lewis Hamilton was winning titles, that it’s all about the car; that Red Bull has such a huge performance advantage over the rest of the field that anyone can win the title blindfolded behind the wheel of an RB19.
After all, didn't George Russell say just a few weeks ago that «there are 10 drivers that you can put in Red Bull and they will fight for victory.”
He did it. Russell, however, did not try to argue that Verstappen was not a worthy champion. In fact, he said the same thing about Mercedes a few years ago — you could put 10 drivers in that car and they would fight for victories. No one has tried to argue that he questions Hamilton's claims to greatness.
The truth is that Verstappen can only beat what's in front of him, and right now he's killing it. His consistency this season has been fascinating. The 26-year-old has won 13 races out of 16 attempts, including a record 10 in a row, and finished in the top two in all but one race. His teammate Sergio Perez, driving the same car, is almost 200 points behind him in second place.
Verstappen put his teammate Sergio Perez in the shade. Photo: Qian Jun/Getty Images
Verstappen is relentless, aggressive (now a quality he shares with some of the greats of the past) and incredibly motivated. I remember Christian Horner telling me a couple of years ago before the first Saudi Arabian Grand Prix that he had never seen a driver with such a strong need to constantly prove that he was the fastest.
“ Just look at the first lap any new track,” Horner said. “I would put money on his first flying lap in Saudi Arabia, as he was the fastest of all the drivers who appeared on this track.
“You know, when he was taken out at Silverstone [earlier in the year] due to a big accident, most of the drivers in the next race are back in it again. Max… first lap back, every sector is purple. It's almost like, «Don't even think I have a weakness.»
Verstappen's rivals, after all, recognize this ability behind the wheel. “To win so many races and difficult races — it was raining all June and July, and if you don’t make mistakes and perform on Sundays, it’s very impressive,” said Fernando Alonso.
Hamilton agreed. While he (sensibly) declined to include Verstappen in his list of the best drivers of all time, he admitted that the Dutchman and Red Bull have been «phenomenal this year.» Irreproachable. I think they've raised the bar.»
Is that enough to be considered an all-time great? “One hundred percent,” Lando Norris told us in Zandvoort. “I can happily say that I consider Max one of the best Formula 1 drivers ever.”
If there's a catch with Verstappen — and Norris has pointed this out — it's that he's never been challenged by his team-mate in the same way that, say, Hamilton has been challenged by Alonso or Jenson Button. or Nico Rosberg. Three world champions.
Verstappen truly had an incredible rivalry with Hamilton in 2021. Then he proved that he can work and stick out his elbows when necessary. But he hasn't been pushed to the limit by his teammate yet. “Everyone has days when they can be beat, and I think Max has those days too,” Norris noted. “It’s just that no one can prove it because no one is close enough. The closest guy should be his teammate, and he's not doing that.»
Until someone comes to Red Bull who can do that, there will always be those who deny Verstappen's right to be in the same ranks with somebody. like Senna, a champion who not only had charisma in spades, but also raced Alain Prost in his pomp in the same car. For now, all we can do is stand back and salute a driver at the very peak of his career who continues to crush everything in his path.
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