When Late F1 legend Niki Lauda proclaimed Max Verstappen as ‘the talent of the century’ after maiden race win in 2016

Niki Lauda had no words after Max Verstappen's incredible race victory at the 2016 Spanish GP.

When Late F1 legend Niki Lauda proclaimed Max Verstappen as ‘the talent of the century’ after maiden race win in 2016

Niki Lauda [L] Max Verstappen after winning the 2016 Spanish GP [R] (images via IMAGO)

Max Verstappen shocked the sporting world after making his F1 debut with Toro Rosso at the age of 17. The Dutch driver was promoted to Red Bull four races into the 2016 season. Verstappen managed to win his maiden F1 Grand Prix in his first outing for Milton Keynes at the Spanish GP. Late F1 champion Niki Lauda had claimed that the then-18-year-old driver would go on to be an all-time great.

The Austrian legend was stunned to see Max Verstappen become the youngest-ever race winner in F1. Lauda reckoned that all he could do was to honor the Dutchman by taking off his iconic red cap after the race. Moreover, Niki Lauda affirmed that Verstappen was the talent of the 21st century after his incredible Spanish GP race victory.

I have no answer except to take my cap off. What we are seeing is a talent [Max Verstappen] of the century.
Niki Lauda said as reported by Autoweek
YouTube video

The late F1 champion was astonished to see the Dutch driver take a race win in his first race after switching teams. Niki Lauda pointed out that this was something that had never happened before in F1 and perhaps never will in the future.

FS Video
I have never seen a driver in the history of motorsport change cars and win a race immediately. It has never happened before and it won't happen again.

Max Verstappen had capitalized on Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg‘s crash on Lap 1 of the race. This eliminated the two Mercedes cars and put the Dutchman in a prime position. Verstappen drove off a brilliant race to ensure he stood on the top step of the podium that day.

Max Verstappen delivered on Niki Lauda’s words

Verstappen might have had a controversial start to his F1 career. However, the Dutch driver soon established himself as one of the fastest drivers on the grid. The 26-year-old managed to put an end to Lewis Hamilton’s domination in the sport in the historic 2021 world championship battle.

Max Verstappen, Abu Dhabi GP
Max Verstappen, Abu Dhabi GP (Via IMAGO)

Moreover, Max Verstappen dominated the sport in the following year. The Red Bull driver has been in a league of his own with the ground-effect regulations and has now won three world titles. Verstappen’s 2023 title campaign certainly is the most dominant one in the sport’s history.

Max Verstappen has solidified his place in the history books. The three-time world champion is still in his prime years with a lot of racing left in him. Subsequently, Verstappen will achieve a lot more success in the coming years, potentially even outside the pinnacle of motorsport.

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