Not liking Max Verstappen is not understanding the nature of F1
Daniel Ricciardo is an anomaly in sport, even more so in Formula 1 which is fueled by machismo. The Australian has a smile so bright you can see it even when he is wearing a mask. His smile is so warm, it can fire up Antarctica. The soon to be former McLaren driver, who won’t be in the Formula 1 grid in 2023, is on the far-end of the spectrum of likability in racing.
On the other end is his former Red Bull teammate, Max Verstappen - the two-time Formula 1 world champion. The Dutch driver has as many fans as he has detractors – and Verstappen has many fans. A sea of orange follows him all over the world. That orange is more pronounced in Europe, with his loud and loyal supporters following him from Catalunya to Zandvoort. The reason why so many love him, and many hate him - is because of how he drives.
Is he a wily warrior or whiny wuss?
Verstappen is either reckless or entertaining, an insolent brat or a fearless fighter - your viewpoint depends on whether you love the Dutch driver or not. But what no one can deny is that he is the greatest driver of his generation. This season proved that without a shadow of a doubt. The 2022 Formula 1 season started as a showdown between the future heirs to the racing throne, Verstappen and Leclerc, whose rivalry stretches from their days of karting.
Going head-to-head with the greatest names in F1
But that competition didn’t last long, with Verstappen dominating the Ferrari driver to comfortably win his second world title.
The two had good cars. The difference was Verstappen’s brilliant driving capabilities and maturity to be able to negotiate his way out of many difficult situations. Verstappen has an almost 80% conversion rate of poles to wins. He has won 14 of the 18 races he has started on pole. The only other driver with a better conversion rate is Bill Vukovich. Leclerc on the other hand has had 19 poles and won just six of them. He is among the worst drivers in the conversion of poles to wins.
When Verstappen has a slight sniff of an advantage over his rivals, he goes for the kill. While the ending of the 2021 championship was controversial, with former F1 race director Michael Masi bending Formula 1’s rules to produce a spectacle, there’s no denying that Verstappen was a better driver compared to Lewis Hamilton throughout that season.
Verstappen even broke Michael Schumacher’s record of most podiums in a season. The Dutch driver finished in the top three 18 times, one more than Schumacher’s record which he set in 2002. He looks set to break another Schumacher record, the one for the most wins in a season. The German driver’s 13 wins in 2004 is the record for the most wins, which was matched by his countryman Sebastian Vettel in 2013. Verstappen has won 12 races this season, and there are four races to go.
Verstappen is a master of damage limitations. In Sochi last year, he put on a damage limitation master class after taking a grid penalty for changing power units. He started in P20 and, when the rain hit in the middle of the race, he made the most of it - going on to finish second behind his rival that season, Lewis Hamilton.
So why is the Dutch driver such a polarising figure?
Well, for starters he has little regard for the other drivers. Verstappen used to push his car to the edge, wanting to squeeze it in the most awkward of angles as long as he would get an inch over his rivals. Hating him for that is puzzling because the sport has never been for choir boys. Formula 1 used to be a brawl to the finish. Schumacher and Ayrton Senna bullied their competitors, and sometimes teammates.
Schumacher’s former teammate Martin Brundle once said in 1992, “He has never been able to differentiate between hard racing and what’s beyond a reasonable line, and clearly he still can’t.”
In Formula 1, good guys really finish last. It’s an intense sport where you take each inch and second you are given as that could be the difference between a champion and the first loser. Verstappen carries that spirit of former racing bullies who did whatever it took to win. Inasmuch as Ricciardo is universally liked - he doesn’t have a world title because he isn’t ruthless enough.
Verstappen has matured a bit. He manages situations better and knows when to risk and when to drive cautiously. But his sharp instincts get the better of him.
The other reason why some people don’t like the Dutch driver is that he was among those who refused to take the knee in a gesture against racism following the murder of George Floyd by American police who knelt on his neck. Formula 1 is insanely white. It’s not just that the sport has only one black driver, there are also limited black people who work in a sport that employs thousands of people in various capacities.
The refusal of a future Formula 1 great to be a part of a cause that looks to tackle this, even with a gesture that won’t change anything, rubbed many people the wrong way. He made his reasons known, but in the battle against racism it quickly becomes an us versus them situation. If you aren’t with us, then by default you are against us.
It’s understandable not to like Verstappen for political reasons, but to hate him because of the way he drives is not understanding what it takes to tame a car that can go at 300km/h. This is a daredevil sport where a split second can be a difference between winning and losing – or life and death. It’s bullfighting on steroids.
Love him or hate him, Max is at the top of his game
The sport was never invented for its gladiators to be nice guys. The fact that your first competitor is your teammate says it all about what it takes to make it here. Verstappen is the master of that. And with his growth, he will be adding to his titles in the years to come. His name is already mentioned among greats, and with the talent he has he can also have as many championships as those greats.
And that is what makes F1 the global spectacle and its drivers some of the highest paid sportsmen in the world.