Why Max Verstappen Wins Like a Mf

Max Verstappen just wrapped up his fourth world driver’s title in Formula 1.

In the Las Vegas Grand Prix, he finished ahead of Lando Norris — all he needed to do to seal the deal. What makes this one even more special is that he did all this with arguably the third-fastest car on the grid, at least for most of the 2024 F1 season. 

This includes the Saturday night race in Sin City as well. He finished 5th, ahead of both McLarens, when his teammate finished way behind in P10. One could debate that he scored that point because Fernando started the race with the soft tires, expecting an early safety car as 2023, which cost him many seconds.

Anyway, it has been proven beyond a doubt that the Dutch driver is one of the GOATs of the sport.

So, what’s his secret?

I mean, apart from his legendary skills.

Turns out, there are four reasons why Max wins like a motherfucker.

1. Jos Verstappen

Both of Max’s parents were racing drivers. And they gave him the best genes possible. But Jos, his father, gave him much more.

There are plenty of stories of Jos being hard on his son while training him in the go-karts. One of the most notable ones is when he left his son, aged 14 at the time, at the petrol station because he crashed out after a failed aggressive overtaking maneuver — a decision he still defends. [1]

Of course, Max was later picked up by his mother. The goal of this, as per Jos, was to force the future F1 legend to dig deep and take complete ownership of everything. This will not only push Max to be a better driver but also leave nothing to fate and give no excuses.

Many people across the internet give him flak for raising his son that way. However, he wasn’t raising a son. He was raising one of the F1 GOATs.

Furthermore, Jos made many mistakes in his career. Switched teams a little too much, sometimes due to luck, sometimes due to his own oversights. He failed to keep himself calm in critical situations, leading to fallouts in his personal life that became public — affecting his reputation within the F1 — the pinnacle of motorsport in the world. [2]

The point is, that he helped his son avoid all these mistakes. Max, since his introduction into karting and racing in general, never put a foot wrong. Combine that with a natural natural talent that has been sharpened by Jos’ strict parenting, and you will get a 27-year old four-time F1 world champion.

2. Supportive team

Christian Horner will put on an LBD and serve margheritas to everyone in the Verstappen-Piquet household if Max asks him to. 

Look, I am not saying that the most dominant champion in F1 history who has won 19 out of 21 races in 2023 doesn’t deserve special treatment. Honestly, Red Bull will execute another driver if they trouble Max on the track.

There is a reason why Liam Lawson puts up a stronger fight against Perez but simply steps aside when Verstappen is on the way. Brazil 2024 is a great example. The Mexican driver has to fight tooth and nail against the Kiwi during the Sprint and the Main Race.

Additionally, since Ricciardo left in 2018, the role of the second driver in that Red Bull seat is to score decent points in every race and, wherever possible, help Max win championships. It’s quite unfortunate that Sergio has failed to do either in the 2024 campaign. Thankfully, Max didn’t need it due to Norris’ inability to withstand pressure, but that’s another story altogether.

The broader axiom is, a supportive environment where your needs and feedback are prioritized is significant for your quest for the driver’s championship. And yes, Verstappen has earned it, fair and square, but the Red Bull family, rightfully, put in a lot of faith in him since day one.

3. Sim racing

As surreal as it may sound to non-F1 fans, playing a competitive racing game on a realistic simulator will improve your real-life driving skills.

A virtual environment, which is getting pretty close to reality, considering gaming companies are leveraging modern technologies like laser tracing and software to bring the best experience. Everything from tire wear to the grip levels on the track in dynamic conditions are getting quite closer to the real thing.

This enables Max to experiment with different things such as racing lines, throttling techniques, overtaking manuevers, and car set ups in a relaxed state of mind. Consequently, he is significantly more comfortable in wheel to wheel racing or pushing the car hard in tricky conditions than his rivals.

Upcoming Audi driver Gabriel Bortoleto also revealed the impact of the same in an episode of F1 Nations podcast right after 2024 Sao Paolo Grand Prix. He stated that his sim is where he spends most of his days, when he is not racing, and it has helped him tremendously in his F2 and F3 career.

Gabriel shares how he finds the best way to position the car when defending and how to take great exits when attacking. [3]

Interestingly, this expands beyond the sport of Formula 1.

Former UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway (another ‘Max’, dominant in his field) also revealed in the Joe Rogan Experience that he discovered many moves and combinations in the UFC video game! [4]

4. Intimidating aura

I would have said ‘championship mindset’ but many drivers in the grid have the same, and the skillset with it. With Max, there is something different.

Everyone up and down the paddock knows Max Verstappen will do anything to win. He will push the boundaries of what the FIA allows and still claim victimhood to try and sway the decision in his favor. Most importantly, he will never admit guilt, as apologizing for trying to win is not in a champion’s DNA.

Moreover, is is great at playing dirty.

Whether it is shoving his opponents off the track at the expense of a time penalty or deliberately putting his foot down even after losing a corner at the risk of a race-ending crash, he will do it all and scream on the radio that he had been wronged.

What’s beautiful is that he will make them all look like accidents.

In the interview with Lawrence Baretto, Max accepts that he is never out of control in any racing situation and knows exactly what he is doing. He even states without losing rhyme that he will continue to do whatever it takes to win races and championships. [5]

It is both right and wrong, depending on how you look at it. Regardless of the moral stance on his approach to competing at the highest echelon of motorsport, you have to admit that it is effective. If you are planning to defend against or attach Max, beware.

Conclusion: It’s the little things

At the championship level, most drivers are similar in terms of skill and their will to win. Lewis, Max, Sebastian, and Fernando are four greats of the sport who are in a league of their own.

However, the aforementioned four things give the Dutch driver an edge over the others in a similarly-powered car. He is raised as a champion since childhood, has the right people around him that truly believe in him, isn’t afraid to make unconventional moves on the track, and makes his rivals second guess their decisions when battling against him.

All of that, combined with his natural talent, makes him a force to be reckoned with.

References

1. Petrol station incident

2. Jos Verstappen Wikipedia

3. Bortoleto F1 Nations

4. Holloway learning from the UFC game

5. Max will do anything