Verstappen aims to prevent Hamilton equalling Schumacher’s record
Dutch Grand Prix driver, Max Verstappen, who sits behind the wheel of a Red Bull F1 car, says that it’s his father who has turned his season around for him. After six races at the beginning of the 2018 season, he was absolutely nowhere. All his races had ended when he either crashed, spun the car or been involved in some other type of incident.
His reputation was in tatters. At 21 years of age, he was seen as one of the brightest prospects in F1. In the 2017 season he had finished sixth, and prior to that, in 2016, he ended up 5th in the Drivers’ Championship.
With such a disastrous start to his 2018 campaign, it was small wonder that he was subjected to a barrage of questions about his ability. It got so bad that he threatened to headbutt the next journalist who queried his credentials.
Luckily, he didn’t have to carry out his threat, and as it stands now with Verstappen in 5th position in the Drivers’ Championship, just 20 points behind third-placed Kimi Raikkonen and being first to take the chequered flag in the Mexican Grand Prix, he is back to his very best and he owes it all to his father.
Max is the offspring of Johannes Franciscus (Jos) Verstappen, himself a Formula One racing driver. In his time, although he never won a Formula One Grand Prix and his highest WDC finish was 10th (1994), he was the best Dutch F1 driver ever. Son, Max, has now taken that mantle.
When Max was a youngster, competing in karting, he would sometimes be guilty of trying too hard and over-driving. After such races, his father would tell him that even if he thought that he was not going fast enough, in reality - he was.
Going back to that thought and that advice when things were not going well at the beginning of this F1 season, conversely enabled Max to actually drive that little bit faster, and it turned his season around.
The Mexican Grand Prix win was Max Verstappen’s fifth F1 victory, but it wasn't, of course enough to prevent Lewis Hamilton from winning his fifth Drivers World Championship. Only Vettel was close enough to him to have caught him in theory, and Hamilton would have had to have made a complete hash of the rest of the races. That was never going to happen.
Hamilton has now equaled the great Argentinian F1 driver, Juan Manuel Fangio Déramo’s record of five WDC wins (back in 1951). But Michael Schumacher still holds the record for most WDC titles with an incredible seven in total to his name.
Hamilton at 33 years of age is still capable of equaling Schumacher's record, especially bearing in mind the fact that he has two years to run on his contract with Mercedes. It's something that could be worth placing a bet on.
Max Verstappen, however, may well have something to say about that aim though. He was quick to praise Hamilton's achievement but threw in the comment that he hopes to now be in a position to challenge for future WDC titles, and if he maintains the form he is currently showing, he may well do so.
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For Max sake, I hope that his head does grow out of proportion; He must always respect other drivers, especially the likes of drivers that have years of experience and great achievements, He is a good young driver and I am sure that if he keeps his cool and give respect to other drivers, he can grow better and stronger and move up the ladder; but since he is quiet temperamental it can very well works against him.
Frankly he's already let the hype get to him and has failed to appreciate that to become a WDC you have to have a number of things go right for you and only one of those is his driving. If he'd been in a title contending car for the past three years HE WOULD NOT HAVE WON THE WDC in any of those years. Of course F1 drivers need huge self belief and possibly a fair degree of arrogance but he talks as though he's already got multiple titles in the bank and to be fair in the last three years at Red Bull Daniel has beaten him 2-1 and was level with Max this year up to the point that he announced he was leaving RB, since which he's had nightmare reliability. Even this year when he's had the better of his team mate for the first time he wouldn't have won the WDC in a title contending car because he squandered so many points in the first six races.
All of which is a shame, because he's pushing fans away from his talent with his ego.
What is all this about Verstappen needing to have respect for other drivers if he is to get anywhere? He is not entering a monastery and taking a vow of humility. He is a racing driver. Or have you guys forgotten how cocky young Hamilton used to be. When accused, and rightly so, that he was like a loose cannon crashing at other people, particularly Masa, he replied: I love the way I drive! And so does Verstappen. The man has the skills, the aptitude, and the (right) attitude. I hope the Red Bull car next season matches his skills and he gives Hamilton and Vettel the run for their money!
What you hear Simon is someone saying young Max is basically OVERRATED & with 5 race wins in 3yr(Shocker) in a car capable of winning races is a shitty return from the so called NEXT Lewis Hamilton(Ha-ha ha-ha) & what do you mean You hope the Red Bull Car matches Maxie's skills so he can fight for the title ?? Simon are we simple mate??
I have stated repeatedly and i shall say it again: I used to dislike Verstappen, but now that he is the man to despise and hate my sympathies are with him. I have also been accused, without basis, that I dislike Hamilton. I shall, again, clarify it: I have some sympathy for Hamilton as man. I am turned off by what the media has turned him into. I make no apologies for siding with the underdogs and Verstappen and Vettel, each in his own class, are now the underdogs. As for Verstappen's record here are his and Ricciardo's numbers:
Team Red Bull Racing
Country Netherlands
Podiums 20
Points 637
Grands Prix entered 79
World Championships N/A
Highest race finish 1 (x5)
Highest grid position 2
Date of birth 30/09/1997
Team Red Bull Racing
Country Australia
Podiums 29
Points 962
Grands Prix entered 148
World Championships N/A
Highest race finish 1 (x7)
Highest grid position 1
Date of birth 01/07/1989
In the light of the above numbers may I ask you were you writing tongue in cheek, or were you serious?
Simon numbers dont lie thats true BUT if you use the stats from when the new type engine started and removed D/F due to engine fault, we may see a better picture
True, figures don't lie but liars figure, and the latter ones are in plentiful supply.
"....what do you mean You hope the Red Bull Car matches Maxie's skills so he can fight for the title ?? Simon are we simple mate??...."
Red Bull cars have had their share of DNF's due to technical and mechanical issues. I meant that I hope that is not a major issue in 2019.
As to "are WE simple mate?" I know only half an answer to that: I don't remember us being mates and I know I am not simple. As to whether YOU are simple you are best qualified to answer that.
Plenty of Hostility towards Hamilton again Simon. Give your blood pressure a day off and just celebrate the fact that all of these drivers are great and a few are just sensational. You try to be fair in one comment but then return to type in the next comment and show your deeply held prejudices. Wow! you must have the constant taste of sour grapes in your mouth. No wonder you stopped watching F1. Lets just hope that Seb or Max wins next year so you have something to cheer about and as for the respect comment, perhaps you may be reminded of that when Max kills or seriously hurts someone.
I'll let you know when I decide I need a shrink. In meanwhile I suggest you look for candidates elsewhere. Re-read your own post if short of leads for patients.
Funny how Max’s aggressive driving style has the skills, the aptitude and the (right) attitude in your opinion yet when you compare a similar trait in an early Hamilton you believe that criticisms of him were fully justified. You give a convincing impression of a hypocrite in this regard.
There are those who blindly follow one chosen star and can see nothing bad in anything that they may do even when to the rest of the world it defies logic or reason. I do not put you into this category but I do believe that there are a couple of drivers that you have an unjustified sense of outrage towards, almost as though you knew them personally and they had insulted your family.
I’m sure that you won’t take my advice but for what it’s worth I’d suggest you either stop following F1 completely or embrace it and accept that drivers have good and bad days. Some are a bit better or worse most of the time, some a bit faster or slower on occasion and that the car and the team do have a massive effect on the outcome because this is what F1 has been like for the majority of it’s life.
Finally……..Now Breathe.
BlackDog, I commented on the topic (Verstappen) and not on the contributors who post here. I am not, and decline your invitation that I become a subject of this thread. You clearly did not, and do not, understand what I said. I'll grant you, though, you got one thing right: I won't take your advice. This is my last word on this topic.
That's really good to hear Simon. However, in relation to your latest thread it's evidently clear that you actually were talking about the contributors comments. Just read your first few sentences from your post timed at 02.06 today. And whilst on the subject of your hypocrisy it's also noted that you didn't try to rationalise your contradictory views regarding Hamilton/Verstappen driving style.
Personally, I'm looking forward to the sound of silence.
I like and think that he is work on progress, however he should concentrate o. Honing his skill rather than making such a silly comment. How is going to stop Hamilton, is he going to knock him off the track?
"...How is going to stop Hamilton, is he going to knock him off the track?..."
By driving faster.
When Nico Rosberg beat Hamilton, at one of the races, the media Hamilton sycophants were incerdulous. They asked Niki Lauda "What happened, how did Rosberg beat Hamilton?" Niki, true to his short responses, answered: He drove faster!
The visor down syndrome is what all drivers suffer from to some degree ,even when they say things on the spur of the moment .It is not WHO will win the championship ,but WHAT,and the answer is FERRARI or MERCEDES, I dont think any other team will better them,thats 2 teams and 3 drivers ,