A bright flash of red and yellow is seen streaking down the racetrack at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. When the speedy Formula 1 racecar crosses the finish line, nobody else can be seen from behind. With the words RedBull flamboyantly emblazoned on the side of the vehicle, Max Verstappen, the most prominent racecar driver in the past year, steps out to a sumptuous amount of cheering from the large crowd as he, once again, finishes first place in the race, winning it all.
Max Verstappen’s prowess in the Formula 1 domain is a spectacle of relentless domination. His latest triumph at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is a testament to his growing potential, as he not only earned the impressive victory but also won by a landslide. With his time recorded by Motor Sport, he finished in 1 hour and 20 minutes, a full 13 seconds faster than the second-place finisher. In a race that is usually filled with the thrill of racecar drivers tenaciously fighting to win the trophy, Verstappen was significantly ahead of his competitors, seemingly cruising through the track and letting Sergio Perez (Red Bull) and Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) fight for second place. Although there are still twenty-one more races in this Grand Prix season, zealous fans around the world expect Max Verstappen to win most of, or all, of them.
When Verstappen emerged into the Formula 1 scene, as a young rookie, his innate, immense talent to audaciously and swiftly drive quickly captivated the global racing community. In fact, he was the youngest driver to compete in Formula 1 history. Starting in the 2015 Australian Grand Prix, he was only 17 years old and was already starting to be perceived as a master of racecar driving. From his insane ability, he earned the record of being the youngest driver to ever set the fastest lap in the 2016 Brazilian Grand Prix race, which he achieved only two years after the start of his racing career. As most teenagers at that age are trying to prepare for college and merely surviving their high school classes, Verstappen was already setting world records in the racing industry.
Nevertheless, despite his vast prominence, what about his long-time rivalry with one of the greatest drivers of all time—Lewis Hamilton?
Lewis Hamilton was the formerly dominant racer in the F1 realm and still is, to some extent. He currently holds the record for the most Grand Prix races won, which amounts to an impressive 103 victories, compared to Verstappen’s current 56. Hamilton, having won 7 championships during his career, was expected to do well this season, but he seems to be lagging behind in some of the races, as he came in 9th place in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, almost making it seem as if he was being pushed aside for the crowning of the new champion. In addition, Verstappen has dominated during the last three years, and it seems like he remains to be hungry for more. According to Sports News, he set a record for winning 19 of the 23 races in the 2022 season. In these early contests, Verstappen not only signaled his arrival but established himself as an undeniable powerhouse in the sport—a young titan whose potential seemed limitless.
The fans watching the races are currently divided on how they feel about this new but indubitably powerful driver. Following the controversy in the 2021 championship between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen (which you can read here in Formula 1), many people are critical of Verstappen’s racing success. Some fans find the races to be too “boring” from his consistent wins, while others believe that his recent triumphs should be appreciated as his hard work is being paid off. On social media, fans are even talking about how they are no longer going to count P1 (first place) in Formula 1, due to Verstappen always winning by such an overwhelming margin. Who could blame them? With the combination of the best driver in the world and the most advanced race car build, as well as technology, Red Bull Racing, Verstappen’s team, is seemingly undefeatable this year.
Overall, Verstappen can either be hated or loved by the millions of people watching the sport of Formula 1, depending on what the fans believe; however, nobody can deny that he has now become one of the all-time greatest Formula 1 drivers to ever put their hands on a steering wheel.
