Max Verstappen won his first Formula One championship in the midst of controversy last year, and his second one in the midst of uncertainty at the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday, but this time there was no debate about the results.
With 12 victories in 18 races and four rounds left, the 25-year-old Red Bull driver is having one of the most dominating seasons in the history of the sport. Suzuka was the site of his latest triumph.
“Max has been utterly, utterly in charge. That’s a record for us (in a single season) and our 14th win (of 2022), and the way he’s driven from the first race, “said Christian Horner, head of the Red Bull team.
We overcame some challenges in the first few races, but he and the crew have now taken it to a new level.
The Dutch driver’s maiden championship was characterized by controversy and drama as he engaged in a generational rivalry with Mercedes’ seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton that came down to the wire.
A late modification to the safety car protocols resulted in an Abu Dhabi overtaking on the last lap, which led to one of the sport’s biggest controversies.
Verstappen, who triumphed in the wet race by a huge margin of 27 seconds, remarked, “The first is more emotional, but the second is more beautiful.”
Verstappen has shown metronomic consistency since defeating the sport’s all-time most successful driver to win the 2021 championship.
After the Singapore Grand Prix, Horner told reporters that “some of the drives have just simply been exceptional this year under great pressure.”
He simply consistently delivers, I guess.
IMMENSELY SUPERB
Verstappen was just outstanding, according to Red Bull’s technical director Adrian Newey, who over the course of his career has created a number of championship-winning vehicles for three different teams.
“He made a little error in Singapore’s traffic, but other than that, he has never made a mistake and has always been moving quickly. He richly deserves all the success he’s experiencing right now “the British national said to Sky Sports.
Verstappen completed all bar two of the races in the top three despite suffering two retirements during the first three races.
Red Bull’s mastery of the new, radical regulations this year has given him an excellent vehicle, and he has benefitted from mechanical issues, tactical blunders, and mistakes that have stymied Ferrari opponent Charles Leclerc’s championship defense.
The Dutch driver, whose seasoned teammate Sergio Perez has won thrice in 2022, has shown maturity and certainty by winning in Hungary from grid position 10, in Belgium from grid position 14, and in Italy from grid position 7.
In Singapore, where insufficient fuel in his Red Bull stopped him from competing for pole and made him upset, or in Spain, when he lost his cool over the radio over a fault, there have been flashes of his previous hot-headedness.
However, the teenager who made his Formula One debut at the age of 17 has developed into an unstoppable force under the strict guidance of his father, veteran racer Jos.
His domination has been comparable to that of German greats Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel as well as British great Nigel Mansell.
Verstappen still has a chance to surpass Schumacher and Vettel’s 13-win season record for most victories.
It’s been a truly remarkable season, I know that,” he remarked.
“I’m really enjoying it, but when I look back on it after the season, I’ll probably appreciate it even more.”