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Formula 1: Max Verstappen forced to play unfamiliar game, but he’s already winning

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Formula 1: Max Verstappen forced to play unfamiliar game, but he's already winning

As a long-time Formula 1 fan and follower of Max Verstappen‘s career, I can’t help but be impressed by the Dutchman’s ability to adapt and thrive in the face of new challenges. Last year, Red Bull’s dominance made it seem like an uphill battle for other teams to keep up. But this season has proven that the competition is fierce, and Verstappen’s resilience is on full display.

In Formula 1 racing, a driver’s reign of supremacy is rarely marked by equal competition. The term “picking up the pieces” usually doesn’t come to mind when thinking about such a dominating driver. Instead, imagine a situation where one driver consistently outperforms the rest, leaving their opponents struggling to keep up.

For fans who closely followed the 2023 Formula One season, it was clear that Max Verstappen’s dominance with 19 wins out of 22 races wasn’t the only compelling story. The racing competition among other drivers was as intense as it had been in more than a decade.

I used to believe the hype about Red Bull’s “dominance” in Formula One, but looking back, it was mostly a media construct to undermine Verstappen’s impressive performances. The focus was on the supposedly second-best driver instead of the supposedly second-best team. Surprisingly, no less than five other teams had drivers who challenged for that title at various points during Verstappen’s season-long reign.

Now in 2024, with Red Bull’s car not nearly as dominant as it was last year, Verstappen has been forced into somewhat of a new role.

Since the Chinese Grand Prix in April, Red Bull has not failed to bring the swiftest racing car on the track, which has been a subject of no dispute. On the other hand, McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes have all taken turns at leading the pack during this period. Each of these teams, as well as Verstappen, have graced the podium since early May.

At the Silverstone Circuit in Britain, the latest Formula 1 race in early summer, Lewis Hamilton clinched his first victory since the season-ending Grand Prix in December 2021. This was also Max Verstappen’s first loss in a row as he hadn’t triumphed at the Austrian Grand Prix at Red Bull Ring prior to this event.

In the realm of Formula 1 racing, Hamilton holds the record with a total of 104 race victories. Notably, Verstappen managed to accumulate 42 wins during the span between Hamilton’s 103rd and 104th triumphs. It is important to note that only three other drivers in Formula 1 history have achieved 42 or more career wins.

Hamilton’s victory marked the break in Verstappen’s series of 44 races without securing consecutive victories. During this period, Verstappen managed to win 35 races. Just four other Formula 1 drivers have achieved 35 career wins.

During the first portion of the extraordinary 2024 Formula One season, comprised of 24 races so far, six diverse drivers from four distinct teams have claimed victory. Despite the belief that the Verstappen era of supremacy has passed, the remarkable 26-year-old driver remains the sole champion with multiple wins, boasting a total of seven victories – more than double the number obtained by any other competitor.

And even during his two-race losing streak, he has managed to build up his lead in the world championship – on both weekends.

At Silverstone, the Mercedes and McLaren cars outperformed Red Bull’s early in the race. However, when conditions shifted, Verstappen remarkably moved up from fifth position to end up in second place, just behind Hamilton. This result expanded his championship advantage over Norris of McLaren, as he nearly caught up with Hamilton, coming within a mere 1.5 seconds.

During the Austrian Grand Prix last weekend, Norris made a strong comeback with McLaren performing well over a long stretch towards the end of the race. However, despite several efforts from Norris to overtake Verstappen, they ended up colliding.

While both drivers had opportunities to prevent the collision, it has been proposed that Verstappen should have given way and allowed Norris to overtake him.

If only the stewards had swiftly confirmed the five-second penalty for Norris’ repeated track limit infringements instead of taking their sweet time, that situation would have been much more manageable for me as a fan.

Verstappen was determined not to let the second-place driver in the championship standings take the checkered flag and claim the victory, as this would result in a significant 14-point advantage for them.

In the end, Verstappen earned 10 points due to finishing fifth following the collision, whereas Norris didn’t score any points because he had to withdraw from the race, further expanding Verstappen’s lead in the point standings.

Over the past four race weekends, Verstappen has outscored Norris and both Mercedes drivers, Russell included, earning him a larger points advantage. Notably, Red Bull’s speed wasn’t always the fastest during this period, and yet, Verstappen still increased his lead in half of those races without securing a win himself.

In 2021, this driver made significant strides forward from being a six-time Formula One Grand Prix champion. He spent more time leading laps than Hamilton, who drove for the Mercedes team that took home the constructor championship. Despite this, they ended the season with an equal number of points.

In the year 2021, Verstappen experienced significant setbacks. The situation was particularly unfavorable for him. However, nowadays, he has shown remarkable resilience and turned things around. His most recent achievement of securing a second place finish despite driving a fifth or sixth place car during the British Grand Prix is a testament to his determination and skill.

From my perspective as a devoted fan, it’s quite amusing how some people continue to insinuate that he hasn’t grown up. However, the truth of the matter is, deep down we all knew this was an open secret.

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2024-07-20 13:32

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