How Verstappen earned the 2023 title with talent
It'd be wrong to say he won simply because he had the best car. It helped, but his ruthless domination is because he's an exceptional, world-class driver.
With his second-place finish in the Qatar sprint, Max Verstappen wrapped up his third F1 title with more than a quarter of the season still to go.
That illustrates just how ruthlessly dominant he’s been in 2023.
This entire season is one impressive achievement, though I fear that when people look back on it, the common remark will be: “Verstappen had it easy”.
In some ways it is true; Verstappen has a stupidly dominant car and a not-so-competitive teammate. But those alone don’t explain why he’s always miles ahead of everyone.
Instead, the chasm to the rest of the field is largely down to the inescapable fact that Verstappen is an exceptional, world-class driver.
This season he’s been breathtakingly fast, he’s barely made a mistake, and perhaps his greatest trait of all has been his innate ability to withstand pressure.
There were a handful of times this year when he shouldn’t have won races.
In Miami, he started back in 9th, yet through some masterful overtaking and phenomenal outright speed, he clawed his way to the front.
Similarly, Verstappen was still able to win by more than 20 seconds in Belgium, despite starting in 6th due to a gearbox penalty.
Other times, Verstappen negotiated tough conditions to capture victory.
The races in Monaco and Zandvoort were interrupted by sudden downpours, forcing drivers to deal with slippery surfaces and a subsequent rush to the pit lane.
In both races, several drivers made costly mistakes. Some hit the walls or slid into the runoff. Verstappen wasn’t among them. He remained composed and critically kept his car on the track - allowing him to win both races.
In the Zandvoort race, rain at the start initially cost Verstappen the lead, as Perez cycled to the front during the pitstops.
Red Bull boss Christian Horner later remarked that dropping down the order like this would’ve frustrated a lot of drivers, but not Verstappen. “He kept his head, he kept calm and then his pace from thereafter was absolutely phenomenal,” Horner said.
“Under such pressure, it’s very impressive how he deals with that.”
We got another glimpse at Verstappen’s brilliance under pressure in Italy when he battled with Carlos Sainz for the lead.
Sainz, sniffing an unlikely victory, was desperate to stay ahead and defended audaciously. A collision looked possible, but Verstappen remained patient. He didn’t try to barge through.
When Sainz eventually made a mistake a few laps later, Verstappen pounced and seized the lead. Such a patient approach shows how far he’s come from his earlier argy-bargy days with Red Bull.
Ultimately, Verstappen’s 2023 season will be remembered for his consistency. He won every race during the four-month stretch from Miami to Italy, setting a new record for the longest race-winning streak of all time.
The streak was only broken in Singapore when Red Bull had a shocker weekend. It is the only race where Verstappen has missed out on a podium.
Throughout that weekend, Verstappen continued to drive like his life depended on it, despite his handicapped car. In the final stint, he had fresh tyres and delivered an overtaking extravaganza, carving through the field and moving from 11th to 6th.
Another reason for Verstappen’s dominance this year was his clever antics.
In Austria, he demonstrated superb car positioning as he battled Perez on the opening lap of the sprint race. Then, in the Grand Prix, he used a genius braking tactic to ensure that he kept the DRS, instead of giving it to Charles Leclerc.
Also, way back in Baku, Verstappen avoided what could’ve been costly front-wing damage thanks to his lightning-quick, instinctive reactions.
All these examples of brilliance shouldn’t be understated.
Yes, the Red Bull car is leaps ahead of the competition, but Sergio Perez is proof that the fastest car doesn’t always prevail. If Verstappen had performed at Perez’s level this season, the championship would still be up for grabs.
Verstappen’s championship victory makes him just the 11th driver to win at least three F1 titles.
Back in Italy, Red Bull team boss Christian Horner said that Verstappen would join “some very illustrious names in the sport” by winning his third title.
“It's always difficult to compare generations, but you have to start to include him in the bracket of some of the greatest that this sport has seen,” Horner said.
I just love watching him race, absolute genius, and I believe he has some of the most talented competitors as well. Former great champs Alonso and Lewis. Super talented Leclerc and Norris, now seems Piastri is showing great potential.