Following a commanding 32nd victory of his Formula 1 career at the Japanese GP, Max Verstappen seized the World Championship trophy for the second time.
The 2022 season has proven to be a masterclass from Verstappen, amassing 15 wins out of the possible 22 races. This achievement from the Dutch-Belgian driver surpasses the record held by F1 legends Michael Schumacher and Sebastain Vettel.
At most circuits this season, it seemed to be a one-horse race. As Max Verstappen charged forward in his raging Red Bull car, it seemed impossible for anyone to get past the 25-year-old. Just as he said early in his illustrious career,
“My ultimate dream is just to become World Champion, and not only once.”
Max Verstappen
His ambitious dream came true through his pure speed, precise corners, and perfect laps.
Max Verstappen was born into a racing family. His father, Jos Verstappen, was a credited Formula 1 driver. It is no wonder that Max Verstappen followed in his dad’s footsteps going onto rocket his way to becoming the youngest Karting World Champion. The young Dutch driver showed so much talent, he managed to skip Formula 2and jumped straight to the Red Bull sister team at just 17. After a poor start to the season from the Russian Red Bull driver Dani Kvyat, Verstappen was thrown into a Red Bulla team that was fighting for wins every week.
Verstappen’s first win for Red Bull came in the 2016 Spanish GP, (which was also his debut for the Redbull main team, replacing Daniil Kvyat) where he became the youngest ever victor in F1 history after taking advantage of a first-lap collision between Mercedes rivals Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton. Leading your first race would leave most people shaking, worried about any mishap that could occur, yet Verstappen never looked rattled. After the race, Verstappen proclaimed that he was..
“Was just trying to focus and drive the best I could.”
It was clear that this young driver was future World Championship material. Ricciardo, Verstappen’s then teammate noted how “everyone questioned the decision [to swap drivers] during the week, but he has proven today that he is a top-class driver.”
After last year’s Titanic battle between Hamilton and Verstappen, which was decided on that famous final lap of the final race that the 25-year-old came out on top. Verstappen certainly entered 2022 with a big smile on his face; beating the 7x World Champion to the trophy was a massive achievement. Whilst the Red Bull team principal Christian Horner thanked the “racing Gods” for what happened that day. It seemed those Gods were not with Red Bull in the beginning of the 2022 season. The race concluded with both Red Bulls out whilst the “prancing horses” at Ferrari were able to hold a top 2 finish, the first time since Singapore 2019. Verstappen left the race tired, distraught and angry commenting how “motorsport is unpredictable, and these things can happen.”
Two races later in Australia, the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc took home the grand slam, meaning he led every lap from pole position and grabbed fastest lap, as Verstappen fell down under to a DNF. It seemed that the Monegasque Leclerc was heading towards his first World Championship.
Fast forward to the end of the season; Red Bull not only has Max Verstappen crowned World Champion, but also holds the Constructors Championship Trophy, the first team to overcome the dominant Mercedes team since the beginning of the Turbo Hybrid era in 2014. Through the mighty speed of the Red Bull driver, and a few mishaps from Ferrari, Verstappen dominated the championship, claiming it at a rain soaked Suzuka, finishing 27 seconds ahead of his teammate Checo Perez after Leclerc was handed a penalty on the last lap. After his victory in Suzuka Verstappen went on to say,
“It’s very special also to do it here, in front of all the Honda people, all the Japanese fans.”
Max Verstappen
The engine manufacturer’s home race was “tough for us to drive” Verstappen noted after obliterating every other driver. As the saying goes, it’s not how you start, but how you finish, and Verstappen finished with his dream accomplished; a double World Champion.
It is without doubt that Verstappen will have his name held in the book of Formula 1 legends. A driver who others fear when they see his lion helmet steaming towards them in their mirrors, the engine roaring as they know that this young Dutchman does not back out of a fight. As Lewis Hamilton said in 2019,
“It’s very likely you’re going to come together with Max if you don’t give him extra space, so most of the time you do.”
Lewis Hamilton
Verstappen’s aggression and determination to win echos that of Senna and the young Michael Schumacher. Still at the young age of 25, this Dutch-Belgian Double World Champion has years of racing ahead of him. Like the lion his helmet resembles, he will hunt for the drivers, the records, the trophies; and when he’s hungry, he’ll bring them down.
First quote – Max Verstappen Quotes. (n.d.). BrainyQuote.com. Retrieved October 28, 2022, from BrainyQuote.com Web site: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/max_verstappen_993814
Christina horner quote – https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/race-abu-dhabi-gp-2021-team-quotes,166679.html
Max unpredicatble quote – https://www.pitpass.com/src/seasons/2022/gp/bahrain/driverquote/sunday.php
Max japan quote https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.verstappen-crowned-world-champion-with-japanese-gp-victory-after-late.7g1xgGHHew3f2If32u8U1z.html
Max spanish gp quote and riccardo joke – https://www.grandprix.com/races/spanish-gp-2016-sunday-team-quotes.html
Lewis quote – https://www.racefans.net/2019/10/27/hamilton-on-verstappen-clash-some-drivers-are-smarter-than-others/