Max Verstappen, the Formula 1 phenomenon: an objective evaluation considering the competition from drivers destined to win multiple world championships. Max Verstappen first climbed into a single-seater race car at the age of sixteen, breaking nearly all the records for precocity. Today, he is a seasoned veteran celebrating his 200th Grand Prix with the Red Bull Racing team. The Dutch world champion showed his exceptional talent right from the start and, over time, has also matured as a person. The label of being a “bad boy” is something he might never fully shed, and there are many reasons for that.
Max Verstappen, one of the most divisive champions in Formula 1
Max Verstappen stays true to himself and to his own approach to racing. Once again this year, he demonstrated that if door-to-door battles are necessary, he will never back down. That’s just who he is: take it or leave it. However, with experience, he has learned not to take unnecessary risks when the stakes are low. A clear example came at the Hungarian Grand Prix when he followed closely behind the Racing Point car of his former teammate without attempting a risky overtake on Liam Lawson.
Many young drivers see him as a role model: drivers such as Isack Hadjar, Liam Lawson, Gabriel Bortoleto, and Kimi Antonelli often seek advice and dialogue with the talented racer from Hasselt, which is only natural. One of Max Verstappen’s best qualities that often goes unnoticed is his respectful and humble attitude toward rookies. A particularly amusing anecdote was revealed by the former sporting director of Scuderia Ferrari, Laurent Mekies.
The Frenchman, after informing Isack Hadjar about his move to Red Bull Racing, was delighted that Hadjar would have the chance to work with the reigning world champion Max Verstappen. Yet Max remains a very divisive figure: despite being the prototype of the modern F1 driver, he will likely never be the “cover face” so beloved by Liberty Media. Racing is all that matters to him; everything else is simply not part of his DNA and never will be.
A phenomenon who performs best away from the spotlight
Like Michael Schumacher before him, Max Verstappen shines brightest when the cameras and microphones are off. He is deeply respected and adored by engineers and mechanics, with whom he maintains warm and friendly relationships. The bond with his long-time race engineer Giampiero Lambiase is emblematic of this. The Italian engineer highlighted the gap between public perception and the reality inside the team, then shared some insights.
For Giampiero Lambiase, Max Verstappen’s greatest flaw is his stubbornness, which often fuels the frequent back-and-forth exchanges over team radio communications. Even though he does not easily admit his mistakes, Max listens carefully to advice and applies it later, proving to be a “sponge” that absorbs every piece of information, albeit starting from a certain initial skepticism. Currently, neither the present nor the immediate future offers prospects for dominance.
Red Bull Racing is going through a phase of technical regression, and the Dutch driver is trying to seize every opportunity that arises on track. The drought from winning a world championship could last a few years, but according to many insiders and experts, the best “driver’s touch” still belongs to Max Verstappen. It is no coincidence that a talent like George Russell kept his seat at Mercedes only after the four-time world champion chose to remain loyal to the team that helped develop his career.
Toto Wolff was waiting for that answer, and it came as expected. He himself openly acknowledged it. He could not afford to miss such an opportunity if it had arisen. Max Verstappen’s current status is reminiscent of the battles Ayrton Senna fought against the dominant Williams cars of the early 1990s or Michael Schumacher’s four seasons at Ferrari from 1996 to 1999: in the end, everyone knew who was truly the best.
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