Max Verstappen in 2023: The year he solidified himself as an all-time Formula 1 great
2023 will go down as one of the most dominant seasons we have seen by a driver in Formula 1 history. Max Verstappen and his Red Bull RB19 have crushed all competition this year. 16 Grand Prix victories so far, breaking his own record of 15 Grand Prix victories achieved last year. A record-breaking ten consecutive Grand Prix victories from Miami to Monza. 11 pole positions. A staggering 491 points in the Drivers’ Championship, enough to have him leading the Constructors’ Championship by 120 points, and of course, a third-straight Drivers’ Championship.
A feat only previously achieved by Juan Manuel Fangio, Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel, and Lewis Hamilton. He now sits level with Alain Prost for the third most victories in Formula 1 history with 51, and he’s just five podiums short of a century in the sport. He’s firmly cemented himself as one of the greatest to ever close a visor and go racing.
Verstappen celebrates winning his third World Championship after the Sprint Race in Qatar
The hungry young bull
At the 2015 Australian Grand Prix, a then 17-year-old Verstappen became the youngest driver to ever start a World Championship race, when he lined up on the grid for Toro Rosso. Many doubted whether a 17-year-old, who had skipped the preceding junior category of Formula 2, could cope with the demands of Formula 1.
As the intense scrutiny and spotlight of Formula 1 would be a difficult learning environment for any 17-year-old. However, as Verstappen began to learn, we started to see the makings of a future world champion.
A 17-year-old Verstappen walking down the paddock in Melbourne
His first race ended in disappointment as he retired with an engine failure. But two weeks later, he would become the youngest driver to ever score World Championship points, when he finished seventh at the Malaysian Grand Prix. Season-best finishes of fourth at the Hungaroring and the Circuit Of The Americas saw him awarded Rookie of the Year in 2015.
At the Spanish Grand Prix the following year, Verstappen then got the opportunity to showcase these talents at the parent Red Bull team, and he wasted no time. In just his first race he took his RB12 to the top step of the podium, and became the youngest driver to ever win a Formula 1 Grand Prix.
I remember Barcelona 2016 like yesterday. It was an incredible day 🏆 And to this date my most emotional race… https://t.co/77gw4ICUH6 now has a beautiful 1:8 showpiece of my first Grand Prix win 👉 https://t.co/7DNHaSAGl2 #SpanishGP 🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/HsaRE0A77n
— Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen) December 6, 2020
He always had the speed, but sometimes lacked the composure and discipline needed behind the wheel. However, his generational talent remained evident for all to see.
https://twitter.com/Max33Verstappen/status/1194586456666361856?lang=en-GB
Fighting for supremacy
The next two seasons brought a different challenge for Verstappen, in the form of his teammate Daniel Ricciardo. Ricciardo was seen as the more complete driver at the time, and the more likely protagonist for Red Bull in a championship fight.
Verstappen would have to impose himself on his teammate, and as Formula 1 is a sport decided within milliseconds and millimetres, their battles sometimes went over the limit.
https://twitter.com/F1/status/990595215978196992
When Ricciardo left Red Bull in 2018, Verstappen became the lead driver of the team. He completely outclassed teammates Pierre Gasly and Alexander Albon, and the hopes of bringing the World Championship back to Milton Keynes laid in his hands.
Red Bull just needed to provide him with a car that could challenge the all-conquering Mercedes, who, by the end of 2020, had won a record seventh-straight Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships.
Verstappen and Hamilton in conversation during the post-race press conference at the 2020 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Maiden world championship
2021 was the last year of the Hybrid Era, before Formula 1 would undergo the biggest technical regulation change in almost 40 years. A peculiar year for Red Bull to launch a title challenge, but they did just that. Verstappen and Hamilton battled it out for the most fiercely contested Championship in Formula 1 history, with Verstappen coming out on top.
The hungry young bull dethroning the legendary 7-time world champion. The premature changing of the guard which was not in the script for 2021. However, the Dutchman was not there to adhere to any preconceived notions, he was there to win.
Verstappen celebrates with his first-place trophy after winning his maiden world championship
Confusion and chaos caused by the FIA at the season finale brought unwarranted criticism of Verstappen’s first championship. But ten Grand Prix victories, ten pole positions, and 18 podiums show he was more than deserving of the title in 2021.
Back-to-back titles
One world title was not enough for Verstappen. He was now part of the exclusive 34-man Championship club, but the fire inside him remained as ferocious as that of the baby-faced 17-year-old in Melbourne.
He changed his car number from 33 to 1, a signal to all that he now held the crown, and invited all challengers who dared overthrow him.
The Dutchman changed his car number from 33 to 1 starting from the 2022 season
His title defense in 2022 would not all go to plan at first. Retirements in Bahrain and Melbourne left him 46 points behind Championship leader Charles Leclerc after just three races. But from the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix onwards, the Dutchman was unstoppable.
He won five of the next six races, and despite a Ferrari fightback in Silverstone and Austria, from Paul Ricard onward he won nine of the last 11 races.
Verstappen crosses the line to take victory at the 2022 Dutch Grand Prix in front of the Orange Army
2022 brought Verstappen 15 Grand Prix victories, seven pole positions, 17 podiums, and a then-record 454 points. It also brought him to the table of Alberto Ascari, Graham Hill, Jim Clark, Emerson Fitipaldi, Mika Häkkinen, and Fernando Alonso as a double-world champion. However, his thirst for glory was still not quenched.
Three-peat
That ferocious fire inside of him still burned strong because he saw another table, where Jack Brabham, Jackie Stewart, Niki Lauda, Nelson Piquet, and Ayrton Senna were sat. They were all deep in conversation, pondering over who would be next in line to join them as triple-world champions. Verstappen’s third-straight title meant they would not wait for long.
Max Verstappen lends his name to the Wall Of Champions for a third time 💪
He's only the 11th driver in the sport to become a three-time World Champion! 🏆#F1 @Max33Verstappen pic.twitter.com/cIdpLVw3ui
— Formula 1 (@F1) October 7, 2023
What is impressive about Verstappen is not just his speed, but his relentlessness, his desire to top every session, his consistency on every tyre set in any condition.
Like every all-time great driver he articulates himself on tarmac, through a language that can be easily comprehended by all racing fans across the five continents that the Formula 1 calendar visits.
Three World Championships, 51 Grand Prix victories, 30 Pole positions, and 95 Podiums all at just 26 years old. He’s clearly solidified himself as an all-time Formula 1 great.
