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The untouchable Max Verstappen was crowned the 2022 World Driver’s Champion in Japan, with four races to go. It has been an incredible season and a very different story to last year when it came down to that unforgettable last lap!
Following up one commanding victory with another, he also won this weekend at the United States Grand Prix in Austin, meaning he has 13 wins this season (so far), already equalling the record for most Grand Prix wins in a season held by Sebastian Vettel and Michael Schumacher. Considering Red Bull’s incredible form this season, it seems inevitable with 3 races remaining, that Max will break this record.
To celebrate all things Max, we are going to explore his road to world domination and shine a spotlight on some of the highlights of his season, including the thrilling showdown in Austin last weekend.
Max Early Career
Max has been established on the F1 grid for so long that it’s easy to forget he is only 25 years old. He made his debut for the Red Bull sister team (Toro Rosso) in 2014 when he was just 17 years old, and there are few ‘Youngest Driver’ records that he does not hold: youngest driver to start a race, youngest driver to score points, youngest driver to score a podium, youngest driver to win a race…. You get the idea.
After proving himself quickly in the Toro Rosso Max was promoted to the main Red Bull team. In his debut race for Red Bull Max impressed everyone by winning a thrilling race under the hot Barcelona sun after the two dominating Mercedes drivers, Hamilton and Rosberg, crashed into each other and out of the race. A sign of what was to come.
Despite Red Bull’s hopes of Max claiming the youngest driver to become a World Champion, Max entered a Formula One that was dominated by Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton.
His time would come though.
2021 – Max’s First Championship
The 2021 Formula One season was probably the most thrilling Formula One season in the modern era, mostly due to the intense competition between Max, finally in a competitive car, and Lewis, hunting for his record-breaking 8th World Drivers Championship.
The pair kept switching throughout the season which kept the drama high. Lewis started the season strong, and you got the feeling Mercedes’ dominance was not quite finished.
However, as we entered the middle of the season, Max stepped up a gear, winning 3 consecutive races for the first time in his Formula One career, eating into Hamilton’s lead. Red Bull fans began to believe that this would finally be the year they snatched victory from Mercedes.
The increasing drama created intense pressure and a slew of controversial racing incidents between the pair, with them taking it in turns to controversially crash into each other, each blaming the other driver. Max began to dominate, and at one point, held a 20-point lead over Hamilton. It seemed a foregone conclusion.
But Hamilton came back once again, with a Mercedes super car. Max was accused of some desperate moves and increasingly questionable racing manoeuvres to defend against the reigning champion. Culminating with accusations that the dutchman break tested Hamilton in the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix.
The drama kept up right to the last race of the season at Abu Dhabi, Hamilton and Verstappen entered the last Grand Prix of the season on level points meaning it was a winner takes all shoot out.
In a circumstance that was typical of the controversy of the season, Max took his first World Driver’s Championship in a final lap controversial restart. Hamilton looked like he was going to win after an incredible drive, but a late safety car came at an opportune moment for Max Verstappen, allowing him to catch back up to Hamilton and get a fresh set of tyres.
With fresher tyres, Verstappen capitalised ruthlessly on his advantage, overtaking Hamilton with less than half a lap to go.
2022 – Domination
After winning his first World Drivers Championship in dramatic but controversial circumstances Max would have been keen to cement his status as a worthy champion in 2022. This season he has done that and more, thoroughly dominating the 2022 Formula One Championship. Love him or hate him, you can only watch and admire history in the making.
Early on it looked possible that Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc may deny Max his second Championship, that has not been the case. Despite Leclerc taking the most pole positions this season, he and Ferrari have made some costly errors. Max on the other hand has been methodical and consistent, winning 13 of the 19 races so far, with a newfound confidence and maturity
An ability to win or take a podium from seemingly any position Max finds himself in has been a hallmark of this season, the Belgian Grand Prix is an excellent example of this and really captures Max’s on track dominance this year.
It seems likely that we are entering a new era of Formula One, The Max Verstappen Era!
United States Grand Prix Round-up
Everything about the United States Grand Prix is a spectacle and with the backdrop of BBQ, Stetsons and with Daniel Ricciardo arriving in the paddock on horseback, this year was no exception. A thrilling and tense qualifying saw an unlikely polesitter in the shape of Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz.
Verstappen could only manage second place with Sainz’s teammate Charles Leclerc taking third.
Engine penalties for Leclerc saw him drop down the grid for the actual race. This placed Hamilton in third place behind Verstappen, a tantalising throwback to the drama of 2021.
There was drama straight off the line as Verstappen got an excellent start and overtook Sainz, the Spaniard attempted to regain the place in the first corner but was unceremoniously crashed off the track by Mercedes’ George Russell!
From this point it seemed like Verstappen would cruise to his 13th victory of the season because the Mercedes of Hamilton simply lacked the pace to keep up. However, a combination of badly timed safety cars and a terrible 11 second pit stop, meant that despite his unquestionable pace advantage Verstappen found himself having to hunt down Hamilton with 10 laps to go.
Hamilton and Mercedes have struggled this season, for the first time in his Formula One career he is without a win as we approach the final races, and he must have smelled that this was going to be his moment.
However, it was not to be. Despite every bit of bad luck, Max methodically set about chasing down Hamilton and did so with laps to spare, claiming his record equalling 13th victory of the season in front of a record-breaking US Grand Prix crowd, and securing the Constructors Championship for Red Bull for the first time since 2013.
Rarely has there been so much excitement on a race where the WDC has already been decided. We can’t wait for the last three races of the season.
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