Verstappen’s global success
Jim Clark, Gilles Villeneuve, Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton, and now Max Verstappen. What do these five drivers have in common? Certainly not their stories, all fascinating but different from each other both in terms of personality and successes achieved in the top flight, if not for one privilege: that of having had their face on the cover of Time, an American magazine founded one hundred years ago and among the most famous in the world on current affairs, politics and finance. For the number that will come out Monday 20 November in fact, the three-time world champion will be on the front page with a headline that speaks for itself: “Unstoppable”, unstoppable. Inside the second monthly issue, an interview conducted by Sean Gregory with the 26-year-old Dutchman, three-time world champion and authentic dominator of this season, during which he equaled and broke some absolute records that seemed unattainable. “A once in a generation talent”as described by another champion like Mario Andretti, and who had already been noticed in his first steps in the world of motorsport, with karts, up to his first success in F1 still as a minor, moreover in his first ever race in Red Bull.
The early years
A driver who is not content to lift his foot even when everything is already decided in his favour, as he is demonstrating, combined with a sometimes controversial personality, like that of his father Jos, who also has a past in F1 but is often severe in his comparisons with the son: “Since I was little I saw other children running, playing, without thinking about the future – declared the #1 of Red Bull – but my father had a plan, and I had to stick to the plan. Sometimes she thought I was a little lazy. I definitely had discussions with my dad about it.”. A harsh education, sometimes characterized by excessive punishments, which contributed to generating an aggressive driver especially in his first years in F1, not without some conflicts with his opponents: “Yes, people have certainly wondered – he added – but I don’t care. I don’t care about other people’s opinions“.
Before Formula One takes over Las Vegas, Max Verstappen talks to @seanmgregory about his dominance, “Drive to Survive,” and what might make him walk away from the sport https://t.co/Igz098iocE pic.twitter.com/UX35sCa3Wo
— TIME (@TIME) November 8, 2023
Growth and the World Cup
Over the years, however, his maturity has increased, and with it the risk of incurring accidents or contacts due to his own impetuosity has decreased. All this brought him ever closer to the great dream of being able to win the world title, a goal achieved in 2021 after a long battle with the then King of F1 Lewis Hamilton, taking over the throne of the Circus ever since. Difficult, if not impossible, to reach or engage in a duel with the Dutchman on the track, even more so in this championship already mathematically won in Qatar. A leadership so beyond question that he can allow himself the luxury of watching the battles between other drivers on the big screens from his own car. There is no limit to his hunger for success, just as there is no ‘stop’ to his passion for racing, so much so that he dedicates himself to e-sports in his free moments, managing his own team: “I also follow other sports, but There’s nothing I’m really passionate about“.
The future and the relationship with the show
Words that make one think of his long stay in F1 as an unstoppable driver, even if his thoughts may be surprising in this respect: “Would I like to win seven titles? Yes why not? But even if I don’t win seven, I know that there are many other things in life besides F1. I’m already very happy with what I got – he underlined – at some point you have to weigh success against your overall quality of life. I feel like I’m always living in a bag or a hotel. At the moment that’s fine. I like driving. I like to win. But the older you get, Maybe one day it won’t be what I want anymore“. A person therefore focused almost exclusively on competitions, at least for now, but distant from the popularity of F1 and its growth also thanks to the docu-series ‘Drive to Survive’ made by Netflix: “I would just like to mention that the actual sport comes first, instead of the show – he concluded while waiting for the Las Vegas GP – this, for me, is very important and in the end this will also decide whether I stay or not. I don’t need to watch it because I know what happens. I’m not even very interested in hearing from our neighbors about how they viewed their season. I know my side of the story. That’s enough for me.”. A Verstappen therefore far from the extra-circuit show, with the addition of aggressive and vulgar radio teams which also made him the target of boos on the podium, as happened in Austin. An episode that didn’t upset him, however: “Yes, it’s very unfortunate, but the thing to remember is that when I walk away with the trophy, that will be the most important thing.”
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