Red Bull Max Verstappen got to celebrate his third world championship in Qatar, but like the first two, it came under special circumstances.
Verstappen secured his championship after a dominant season in a historic sprint race. The championship was decided even in the middle of the race, when a team mate Sergio Perez got into Alpine by Esteban Ocon to crash. Perez’s sprint ended in a stoppage.
Ocon first hit Haas’ Nico Hülkenberg and then Sergio Perez.
All three missed the race, but the interruption was certainly the most painful for Perez, who was theoretically still fighting for the championship.
Red Bull’s side got quite a hit.
Perez escaped uninjured, but the upset was certainly great.
After the sprint race, a time trial-like protocol is used, so no big ceremonies were seen after the championship was decided. No podium parties at all, no bubbly spraying.
After the sprint, Verstappen climbed on top of his car to ventilate. TV pictures showed a small-scale party where Verstappen was celebrating his latest achievement with Red Bull employees and his loved ones.
The essential features for Formula 1 were also missing from the championship celebration this time.
– I would think that the majority of the audience would have wished for a more exciting ending. The championship was already clear on a mental level some time ago, but this could have culminated better. Perez fell victim to the situation in the sprint. I would have liked a bigger sports party at the end, Urheilu’s F1 expert Jukka Mildh describes.
After the sprint race, Max Verstappen climbed on top of his car to air the championship.
Verstappen also had a tender moment with his girlfriend Kelly Piquet.
They hugged warmly.
After the race, Verstappen also emotionally thanked the Red Bull employees. He also celebrated the championship with them.
Even Bottas’ value rises after Verstappen’s dominance
Right from the first tests of the season, Red Bull was clearly ahead of the other Teams. At the beginning of the season, Verstappen had a tight battle for the championship with his teammate Perez.
Verstappen ran away on his own roads after the street race in Monaco. At that time, Perez hit the wall in qualifying and did not get a point. Verstappen, on the other hand, won. The gap widened to 40 points. From there, the Mexican street track specialist did not rise again.
– Unfortunately, I think Perez had a bad time in the championship. That shouldn’t happen at this level. However, the opponent is really tough. However, Perez was unable to respond to the team’s shout, says Mildh.
There has been a lot of talk in Finland this season about how Perez’s problems against Verstappen are also increasing Valtteri Bottas performance value.
Mercedes dominated the series to their heart’s content at the end of the 2010s and in the corona year 2020. At that time, however, Bottas was able to challenge what many consider to be the champion driver Lewis Hamilton better than now Perez has been able to against Verstappen.
Mildh is on the same lines.
– Valtteri really tried against Hamilton, if you compare Verstappen and Perez’s situation, says Mildh.
In his arguments, Mildh first reminds us of the Mercedes-pesti’s starting point. Bottas got to Mercedes somewhat unexpectedly when Nico Rosberg decided to end his career for the 2016 World Championship.
– Valtteri did a really good job with Mercedes in a difficult place. You have to remember that he won races in many situations. If you compare Bottas to Perez, Valtteri did a great job under significant mental pressure. Perez couldn’t do it now, Mildh underlines.
Why is Verstappen so good?
Verstappen is only 26 years old, but has already broken numerous F1 records.
Mildh sees many things behind Verstappen’s dominance.
– Verstappen has a very good eye for driving lines. He has practiced them a lot in the simulator. Verstappen likes to drive a lot, says Mildh.
The expert also points out the family background. Jos-isä is a former F1 driver, who has brought up his son to the current situation with determination and sometimes with harsh methods.
– Max has been raised harshly. He has been bred for this role. His upbringing has made him a really tough driver. Now it’s hard to beat him for a while, Mildh reminds.
Can Verstappen compete with the greatest in the sport?
With his three championships, Verstappen now surpassed many sport legends, such as the Austrian Niki Lauda or Brazilians Nelson Piquet’s and Ayrton Sennaalongside.
The list gets shorter when you look at the drivers who have won three consecutive F1 championships. At least three consecutive championships in the royal class of motor sports have previously been achieved only Juan Manuel Fangio, Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton.
At the top of the all-time list are Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton with their seven championships.
Can Verstappen reach Schumacher and Hamilton in the future?
Mildh sees three decisive factors. The first thing is where Red Bull’s situation is developing.
– Getting into the ranks of the greats requires Red Bull to continue on the crest of the wave. In the design work, for example, we are ahead of others, says Mildh.
Another thing is Verstappen’s own ambition.
– Verstappen has done nothing else in his life but drive. He is so young that he can still drive for a long time. Ambition will remain at a high level. At some point, however, there must be resistance, says Mildh.
Although with their current dominance, Red Bull could be unstoppable until 2026, Mildh believes the Dutchman’s fiercest rivals will improve.
– Tougher resistance may come from your own team, but at the same time other teams are also improving. For example, Mercedes will definitely rise. However, Verstappen needs tough opposition to keep him hungry, says Mildh.
The F1 expert still does not expect any sudden solutions like Nico Rosberg.
– I believe that in a couple of years there will be no problem with ambition, says Mildh.
F1 series points standings: