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The winning margins were often cavernous, in some cases almost embarrassingly so, such as the 33.731sec lead over Lando Norris in Hungary when the flag fell. There were the dominant runs, untouched from pole to flag in Bahrain, Austria and Silverstone, but what stood out were the races in which he had to break a moderate sweat. Worse still, Verstappen had been highly critical of the accompanying hoopla, saying repeatedly that he felt it was unnecessary and that what mattered was the racing, which he believed the sport was showing scant attention.
Hamilton slides off into the gravel at Imola while running second and hits the barrier - but manages to reverse and continue with his race But Verstappen, starting third, slipstreamed past the Mercedes front row of Hamilton and Bottas at the start, and the 24-year-old never looked like relinquishing that lead as he won by 16.5 seconds for a record third triumph in Mexico and his ninth race victory of the season.Verstappen is in his seventh season in F1 having made his debut as its youngest driver, aged 17, in 2015. The slight, awkward teenager that climbed into a Toro Rosso has long departed. He has grown up in public and while his features still betray his youth, his confidence and authority is unmistakable. He is a man aware of the import of being in a title fight with the greatest driver of his generation, yet entirely unintimidated. What was considered arrogance by some in his youth is now calm, self-assurance. Max Verstappen je teraz na vrchole, vyhráva takmer všetko, smeruje k ďalšiemu titulu, takže sa hodí... Každopádne je to veľmi zaujímavá, pútavá kniha a vtiahne aj občasného fanúšika F1. Autor je športový novinár a cítiť to – pozadie, informácie, súvislosti. Ukazuje, ako syn legendy F1 bol vlastne odmalička predurčený na pretekanie. Ako začínal v motokárach, ako ho jeho otec k tomu viedol, pracoval s ním, učil ho.
But it turned out to be a masterstroke, with Verstappen storming through Bottas and then closing up to Hamilton, overtaking the Mercedes, who didn't put up much of a fight, on the penultimate lap to extend his title advantage. This positive assessment was matched by the Red Bull team principal, Christian Horner. “The pace was good, the strategy was there, it was the best possible start for us. It was a superb race today, get on the board and get some points early.” Hamilton eventually did get ahead and, with Verstappen second again, it meant both drivers entered the season-decider in Abu Dhabi level on 369.5 points. Incredible. Yet the hard-charging style is part of what makes Verstappen so fascinating. His move on Hamilton through turn one at Imola this year proved it has not been neutered, but refined. “If the gap is there I would definitely go for it, it’s just my style, elbows out basically,” he says. “But if you are in a championship fight you have to think about points every single race. It’s a balance.”
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Hamilton gets past his championship rival Verstappen to take the lead with six laps to go in the Spanish GP Verstappen said this weekend that he does not care about how and where the title is won, only that it is under his belt as he continues what has been an inexorable march typified by the run at Suzuka. Having been challenged at the start by McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri he held his nerve and his place sandwiched between the two charging papaya cars, kept his nose in front as they swept into the esses and that was it.
Sports journalist James Gray seeks to understand the outspoken nature and aggressive driving style that make Verstappen a must-watch before, during and after races, and why his Dutch fans, who turn up to cheer him on in their orange-clad droves, are quite so fanatical. Throughout it all Verstappen has, understandably, beamed with enjoyment. Yet along the way there were signs that for all the ease with which he was cantering to the title, his focus and the exacting standards he expected of himself and others remained undimmed. It permeates, particularly in the garage,” he says. “He is a tough cookie but you know he is going to give you 120% when you put him in the car and he expects the same in return – that drives a team. Everybody knows he is giving it all so they want to give it all. He is brutally honest. That’s the one thing about Max that you have to totally respect, he is totally straight.”The build-up to the season finale had been dominated by talk that such a relentlessly competitive championship might be decided by a moment of controversy. It ultimately was, but not in the manner expected. This sixth constructors’ championship is beyond our wildest dreams, coming into the season I don’t think we could have dreamed of having a season like this,” he said.
Indeed, for many of the ensuing laps this was far from a classic, something of a procession, until the racing fates decided it was time to bring the noise. Hamilton, like Verstappen, was out of sorts off the grid in seventh, dropped places and was eighth at the end of the first lap. Being out of place worked for him. He stayed out long and as the pit stops fed through, was behind only Verstappen and Norris who had also yet to stop. As the son of F1 legend Jos and elite-level kart driver Sophie Kumpen, Max was destined to be a racing driver. And since that headline-grabbing debut, he has continued to make an indelible impression on the sport, courting criticism and plaudits in equal measure. The second Austria race resulted in more of the same for Verstappen - who was perhaps even more dominant as he added the fastest lap bonus point to his collection from the previous weekend - while Hamilton hit problems. However, it was exactly what I needed as a new fan. I don't know a lot about the history of the sport and about how things work and it gave me a thorough introduction.The only consolation for Hamilton was that he finished second, although it was now clear that Red Bull were on the charge. Pyrotechnics fire after Max Verstappen crosses the finish line to win the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort in August. Photograph: John Thys/AFP/Getty Images Sky F1's Karun Chandhok analyses the dramatic duel between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen in the closing stages of the Bahrain Grand Prix THE FIRST AND ONLY BIOGRAPHY OF DUTCH FORMULA ONE WUNDERKIND MAX VERSTAPPEN, NOW DOUBLE WORLD CHAMPION** Hamilton, however, was hunting his prey from then on and an overtake appeared a matter of time - before Mercedes pulled the trigger and fitted him with fresh tyres. The move dropped him more than 20 seconds behind Verstappen, but with a 2s-per-lap pace advantage, a pass was inevitable and Hamilton executed it with typical ease.
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