Ex-AlphaTauri manager claims Max Verstappen ‘saved’ F1 with his massive popularity

Max Verstappen's success has attracted millions of new fans to the sport in recent years.

Ex-AlphaTauri manager claims Max Verstappen ‘saved’ F1 with his massive popularity

Max Verstappen (via IMAGO)

Max Verstappen is currently the driver to beat in Formula 1. The three-time world champion has established himself as an all-time great in the history books with some incredible results. It is thus no surprise that the Dutch driver has an enormous fanbase rooting for him at every race. Now, former AlphaTauri Team Manager Graham Watson has reckoned that Verstappen has saved the pinnacle of motorsport.

Watson went as far as claiming that Max Verstappen’s career was the best thing to have happened in the history of the sport. The 56-year-old compared Verstappen’s promotion to Red Bull in 2016 to Michael Schumacher‘s move to Scuderia Ferrari. Graham Watson highlighted that Schumacher managed to attract millions to F1 during his prime.

Max is the best thing that has happened to Formula 1. When Max went from us to Red Bull, I compared it to Michael Schumacher going to Ferrari. He made Formula 1 immensely popular at the time.
Graham Watson told Verstappen.nl
YouTube video

Similarly, the former AlphaTauri manager believed that Verstappen had played a similar role in bringing new audiences to F1. So much so, that the 56-year-old claimed that Max Verstappen had singlehandedly saved the sport’s future. As the Dutch driver has managed to create a huge interest in the minds of millions of fans.

FS Video
I think Max single-handedly saved Formula 1.
 Because he brings the same intensity and generates interest. People come en masse to Austria, Spa: actually everywhere for him.

Max Verstappen has a huge fanbase while still facing backlash in some races

The 26-year-old certainly remains one of the most interesting drivers on the grid. So much so, that Max Verstappen enjoys one of the biggest fanbases in F1, known as the ‘Orange Army.’ However, the three-time world champion is not liked by all viewers of the sport as witnessed in recent years.

Max Verstappen on the US GP podium (Via IMAGO)
Max Verstappen on the US GP podium (Via IMAGO)

Max Verstappen has managed to annihilate the competition in the past two seasons. The Dutch driver has won three consecutive world titles with a historic run in 2023. This has bothered some viewers who have even booed the three-time world champion as he took to the top step of the podium.

Nevertheless, Verstappen remains unbothered by such activities. The Dutch driver has made it clear that he stays focused on winning. The three-time world champion is still hungry to achieve more success at the pinnacle of motorsport. As such, fans would be looking forward to seeing the Red Bull driver fight for the title this year.

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