Verstappen has performed at Max and could seal title around his birthday in Singapore
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Max Verstappen post-qualifying during the 2021 Dutch Grand Prix
It is not a sheer coincidence the hottest Formula One star on the grid, Max Verstappen, will be turning 25 on September 25, the first day of practice at the Singapore Grand Prix.
The dashing Red Bull driver has been in imperious form, with what he achieved a week ago in the free-flowing Monza track catching the eye. Agreed, to win a race with the safety car in front does not make for great viewing when you are watching a high-octane sport.
Yet, for Verstappen to seal one more Grand Prix in front of hostile fans last Sunday brought out his character emphatically. Son of Jos Verstappen, a former Formula One driver, Max knows what racing is all about, be it in favourable or hostile conditions.
Everyone knows, how important the role of genes is in sport. In some cases, the second-generation athlete is far superior, as is the case with Max. However, in the case of Michael Schumacher’s son, Mick has not been able to produce the same flair, feel and furious pace. F1 is hard. F1 is unforgiving. And F1 is very cruel to non-performers.
When father Michael was destroying the field at the wheels of the Prancing Horse, he was ruthless. Some said his style was dangerous. Pray, what is F1 minus the thrills, wheel-to-wheel nudges, and breathing overtaking tricks. That’s why, F1 and motorsport at large, are not for the faint-hearted.
Also read : Can Max Verstappen or Lewis Hamilton win a championship for Ferrari in their current guise?
Max Verstappen is on course to defend the F1 crown in Singapore
When Schumi, as Michael was fondly known, retired from Ferrari, it did upset fans. The German legend was unable to produce the same form when he joined Mercedes, in his fresh avatar. To be honest, Michael Schumacher looked good only in the paddock and not at the wheels when he resumed racing. For those who were fortunate enough to see the German over a decade ago at the Buddh International Circuit (BIC) over a decade ago, it was a fan moment.
To have seen the legend in flesh and blood was fulfilling but it was certainly no fun in those Grand Prix in India to see Schumacher being kicked by Sebastian Vettel, the rising Red Bull star. For Schumacher to have been part of those races, minus pace and not being the ace was painful. He may have been inert to it as there was a big financial deal involved, but for die-hard Schumi fans, the Ferrari avatar was the best.
Today, Michael Schumacher is away from public eyes, though prayers are with him for a recovery from the nasty skiing accident which has left him and the world traumatised.
Back to Max Verstappen, his rise has been phenomenal. Last year, when he sealed the title in the desert duel against Lewis Hamilton in Abu Dhabi, there was a raging controversy. It was as if the race director Michael Masi had played the villain. Reams were written about how Lewis Hamilton had been robbed!
Max Verstappen never minded it. He was champion, he is champion. And he is set to become champion again, possibly during the September 30 weekend, when he celebrates his 25th birthday.
To be sure, what has marked Max Verstappen as a champion is how he has been winning races not just from pole position but in different starting positions on the grid. It, obviously, does not have to do just with his car being prepared. Formula One is a fusion of human excellence and churning technology. The race for pace and the drive to keep improving has marked Max’s car as superior.
But then, the real thrust is the man behind the wheel who has shown professionalism, speed, and guts to rip the field. That’s why Max is on overdrive, he wins races from any starting position on the grid.
Can Max Verstappen do it in Singapore?
A few things need to be understood. Singapore is a night race. From Europe to Singapore, there is a change in weather, conditions, track temperature, and so on. Singapore has been a fun venue and drivers have loved the ambiance of a high-energy city and a circuit that is modern.
If Max seals it then and there in Singapore, his team will be ordering many more cases of champagne! If not, he can still do it in Japan.
Where does that leave the pretenders like Mercedes, who had a good-looking W13 at the start of the season? They have not won a single race in 2022 and their drivers George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time F1 world champion, have looked average. The team is already developing their car for 2023, which means the engineering side has already realised that 2022 was a disaster!
Surely, Hamilton can blame none this time and Masi lost his job long ago. Each new champion brings with him a freshness, an aura, and a romance with the fans. Max Verstappen has all of it minus the arrogance. For that reason alone, the second generation Verstappen has shown how he has genes and the genius to race like a devil.
Oh, get those ear muffs back, please.
Also read : How many Formula 1 races are held outside Europe?
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S Kannan
(382 Articles Published)