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Formula 1: Max Verstappen totally disrespected (again), yet it’s no surprise

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Formula 1: Max Verstappen totally disrespected (again), yet it's no surprise

As a devoted Formula 1 enthusiast with decades of racing under my belt, I can confidently say that ESPN’s recent “top 100 professional athletes” list left me utterly bewildered. The omission of Max Verstappen from this esteemed roster is like forgetting the steering wheel in a Formula 1 car!

It’s not unusual to see a perceived bias towards Formula 1 driver Max Verstappen in the media, particularly with Sky Sports. This seems to be a recurring issue in their coverage, both domestically and internationally.

Indeed, they do admit that Verstappen possesses an exceptional talent and has amassed legendary accomplishments as a three-time consecutive world champion in his career to date.

I’m sorry, but ESPN didn’t manage to include a diverse representation on their latest “Top 100 Professional Athletes of the Last 25 Years” list.

As a dedicated fan, let me clarify something: This list sparked conversations among sports enthusiasts across the globe, and it often does with any “top x number of athletes” list. I’m not here to criticize ESPN, but rather to fuel the ongoing debate about one of the more contentious points from the list.

Before revealing the top 100, even ESPN added a playful touch with the phrase, “Let the debates commence.” It’s all meant to be enjoyable.

Verstappen completely snubbed

The list is built solely around accomplishments and statistics from the 21st century, as events and achievements prior to this time period are not taken into account when determining the rankings.

In this rephrased version, I’ve attempted to simplify the text while maintaining its original meaning: Two Formula 1 drivers on the list were seven-time world champions, and unsurprisingly, they were both Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton. The former won five championships in the 21st century, while the latter has claimed every title since 2008.

As a gaming enthusiast, I’m thrilled that Schumacher and Hamilton made it onto the list. It’s not just about their wins, but the respect they’ve earned throughout their careers that truly deserves recognition. And, it gives me satisfaction to see them ranked where they belong.

As a dedicated enthusiast, I’d say it’s perfectly reasonable to position both Schumacher and Verstappen above 29th and 19th respectively, given their exceptional skills on the track. In this particular ranking, Schumacher found himself at No. 29, while Hamilton managed to secure a spot 10 places higher at No. 19.

But Verstappen being totally excluded is simply ludicrous, even if not surprising.

Among those listed, you’ll find numerous promising, energetic athletes who’ve already accomplished remarkable feats at a young age, but it’s widely believed they haven’t reached the pinnacle of their abilities just yet.

The list doesn’t only include individuals like Tom Brady, who is ranked fifth, but rather features some surprises too. Patrick Mahomes, for instance, is ranked eighteenth and stands out as a significant exception.

ESPN also acknowledged this: “Athletes like Patrick Mahomes, Nikola Jokic, and Shohei Ohtani undoubtedly have even greater achievements in store. We’ll observe where their current performances place them in future rankings.”

Despite the fact that the 26-year-old Dutch athlete has been participating at the top tier in his sport for more years than several others have been competing altogether, he is not included in their group.

Verstappen already has more wins this century than Schumacher did. His win total since 2020 alone would be good enough for third place on the all-time Formula 1 wins list (behind Hamilton and Schumacher).

Despite an increase in the number of races per season compared to Schumacher’s peak years, as well as those of Hamilton, Verstappen has just completed a two-year period where he won more races than any other driver has managed during a three-year span.

He won 19 of 22 races in 2023; Schumacher’s best was 13 for 18, and Hamilton’s best is 11 for 17.

As a dedicated gamer, I’m seeing Verstappen perform moves that remind me of those legendary drivers during their golden years, but with an edge of dominance that surpasses them. Some might still label him as the rising star, but he moved from being the “next big thing” to the present champion a while back.

In the year 2024, Red Bull’s car may not have been the swiftest as frequently as it was in 2022 and 2023, but remarkably, there is only one driver who has secured more than two victories in a total of 14 races, and he has amassed seven wins to his credit.

His exclusion is even more questionable when you consider some of the other athletes who were included.

Is it really Bryce Harper who managed to win his first playoff series only in his 11th season, given that he had numerous opportunities to shine with the Washington Nationals who went on to claim their first World Series title just a year after he moved to Philadelphia (and somewhat awkwardly expressed his desire to bring a championship to D.C.)?

As a sports enthusiast who has followed the world of motorsports closely for decades, I find it rather intriguing that a two-time MVP is often listed among the top 100 international athletes of this millennium, while Max Verstappen, arguably one of the most promising and successful Formula One racers of our time, is conspicuously absent. To me, this seems like an oversight that borders on the absurd, given Verstappen’s impressive performance on the track and his undeniable potential for greatness in the years to come. It’s not that I don’t respect the accomplishments of the two-time MVP, but when it comes to international athletics, it’s hard to ignore the impact that a young racer like Verstappen has made on the world stage.

It’s not unexpected, given the increasing tendency of the media, that Verstappen was overlooked, not only due to the growing media bias towards him, but also for other reasons.

In a somewhat surprising turn of events, seven-time NASCAR Cup Series winner Jimmie Johnson is ranked below multiple athletes who have been associated with performance-enhancing drugs in other sports. Interestingly, both Johnson and renowned figures like Schumacher and Hamilton are categorized under the label “auto racing” rather than being individually recognized.

Instead of assuming that Scott Dixon from IndyCar wasn’t considered, let’s say we didn’t include him in our selection. However, since three other drivers were chosen, it’s clear that racing as a whole wasn’t overlooked.

It’s hard to understand why Verstappen was overlooked given that they had 71 opportunities to position him behind Schumacher-era drivers like himself, yet 71 other athletes, excluding Verstappen, were chosen instead.

Regardless of the Abu Dhabi incident in 2021, it’s clear that Verstappen outperformed Hamilton in their direct competition that year. He led over two times more laps than the seven-time world champion, an impressive feat considering Mercedes was the constructor champion.

To put it simply, Verstappen has managed to secure more wins in seasons where his team didn’t claim the constructor championship compared to Hamilton. Over the past 25 years, Verstappen’s tally in this specific category surpasses Schumacher’s by more than double.

It’s likely that many sports enthusiasts think other athletes should be included in this list, as ESPN needs to take into account athletes across all sports worldwide. Frankly, it’s surprising to me that Joey Chestnut is not featured here.

Whenever such a list featuring athletes is published, there are usually more individuals who seem deserving but weren’t included than there are spots on the list initially. In fact, you could argue that as many as 400 or 500 other athletes should have been part of the initial list of 100. Given this, it’s challenging not to grant ESPN some leeway in their selection process.

However, none of the other athletes in their respective sports have achieved or continued to achieve what Max Verstappen has accomplished in Formula One.

It’s quite debatable whether the creator of this extensive list intentionally ignored him or had personal reasons, but the fact that a six-time Grand Prix champion isn’t included in what’s supposed to be a list of this era’s best drivers raises some eyebrows.

To anyone following Formula 1, it’s likely that Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, and Michael Schumacher should be included in a non-exclusive top 100 list, not just limited to drivers from the 21st century.

Despite securing the Best Driver ESPY Award last month, Verstappen was surprisingly omitted from ESPN’s coverage of Formula 1 races in the U.S., an action that seems illogical given their rights to these broadcasts.

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2024-08-04 13:32

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