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Max Verstappen pictured during the second practice session at the Austrian grand prix on Friday. Photograph: Christian Bruna/EPA Verstappen is in his seventh season in F1 having made his debut as its youngest driver, aged 17, in 2015. The slight, awkward teenager that climbed into a Toro Rosso has long departed. He has grown up in public and while his features still betray his youth, his confidence and authority is unmistakable. He is a man aware of the import of being in a title fight with the greatest driver of his generation, yet entirely unintimidated. What was considered arrogance by some in his youth is now calm, self-assurance.
No Hollywood scriptwriter could possibly have envisioned the breathless, adrenaline-pumping climax to the 2021 Formula 1 season. On the very last lap of the final race of an unbelievably arduous and controversial season, Red Bull's Max Verstappen nervelessly overtook the seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes to clinch the first place that thrust the young prodigy to the narrowest of victories and to his first World Drivers' title. He followed up by taking the 2022 title as well.
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Hamilton is not alone in his appraisal of Verstappen. Lando Norris of McLaren, who grew up admiring the Dutchman when he was in karting and has a strong, friendly relationship with him, believes if anything Verstappen’s dominance is only just beginning. Norris came close to beating Verstappen at the Brazilian Grand Prix earlier this month, with the pair crossing the line ahead of third-placed Fernando Alonso by almost half a minute. The former is yet to secure his first Grand Prix victory but Express Sport readers believe that he could be the one to challenge Verstappen next year if he keeps improving at his current rate.
Verstappen’s Red Bull team had already demonstrated great pace herelast week, with the Dutchmanwinning andenjoying a 15-second lead over world champion Hamilton before the British driver made a late stop to go forthe fastest lap. On the first runs in the top 10 shootout, Leclerc used scrubbed tyres, as did all other drivers apart from Verstappen, and was slowest. With Mercedes bringing an entirely different design philosophy to their car next season the team principal, Toto Wolff, was also blunt in looking forward to bidding farewell to the W14. “I am happy that was the last qualifying of the season and we are going to come with a new car,” he said, with a similarly hang-dog air as Hamilton. At the start of the season it will fall to Ferrari to put the pressure on him but the Scuderia, adapting to the new team principal Frédéric Vasseur, appear to still be trying to catch Red Bull. Leclerc will form the schwerpunkt of their assault but while he certainly has the talent to fight Verstappen he has to have the tools and at this stage Ferrari need a little more.But on new tyres, the Ferrari improved and Leclerc produced what he said was "a really, really good lap". THE FIRST AND ONLY BIOGRAPHY OF DUTCH FORMULA ONE WUNDERKIND MAX VERSTAPPEN, NOW DOUBLE WORLD CHAMPION ** This sixth constructors’ championship is beyond our wildest dreams, coming into the season I don’t think we could have dreamed of having a season like this,” he said.
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