Verstappen the influential
Max Verstappen he is increasingly becoming the symbolic figure of Formula 1, inheriting this role from champions such as Lewis Hamilton And Michael Schumacher, who have played the role of absolute point of reference for sport before the Dutch champion for the last 20 years. The definitive consecration as a world icon for the Red Bull home star could have arrived now, with the introduction into the very prestigious list drawn up by Time – the famous American magazine – of 100 most influential people in the world last year.
The only other two Formula 1 drivers to have ever entered this list were the two seven-time world champions, who however were 'nominated' only at an already mature age, sportingly speaking. Hamilton achieved the recognition in 2020 – aged 35 – and Schumacher in 2005, aged 36.
Alongside 'heavy' names'
The current three-time F1 world champion, launched this year towards his fourth consecutive world championship success, was positioned in the 'Titans' category, together with other sporting icons such as the quarterback of the American football Kansas City Chiefs, Patrick Mahomes, and two-time WNBA Basketball Championship winner A'ja Wilson.
The sports correspondent of Time Sean Gregory, who wrote Verstappen's profile for the magazine, defined him as “so confident behind the wheel that during more than one race he was able to keep an eye on the screens around the track to observe the battles taking place behind him”. The reference is to the occasions in which the champion from Hasselt, in interviews or on some team radios, admitted having seen some overtaking moves shown live on the big screens during the race while he was in the lead.
The prestigious list includes a number of political figures, world leaders and artists. The inclusion of Verstappen is also remarkable from a demographic point of view. In fact, the orange champion is among the youngest selected with his 26 and a half years of age, slightly older than the 25 of the Palestinian photojournalist Motaz Azaiza.
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