MAX MAKES HEADLINES AND REVAMPS F1
It must have been a rollercoaster ride for Max Verstappen the last two weeks. After the Russian GP his dad was called by Dr. Marko, and asked if he and Max could come to Austria Red Bull HQ. Once they were there he was telling about the progress made on the new Red Bull car and the upcoming engine upgrade. Still left in the dark, Jos and Max asked about Toro Rosso. Then Dr. Marko made clear that Max wouldn't drive the Toro Rosso next race but the RB12. And then the dream scenario continued, he became the center of attention during the FIA press conferences and media during the Spain GP weekend. He had chosen his words carefully when answering questions related to the swap with Daniil Kvyat. He didn’t watch Game of Thrones, but recordings of last years GP’s....
Then on Saturday he jumped in the car for the second time to do a qualifying session. Two out of three sessions he already beat his team mate Ricciardo. That woke him up, so he pushed to get 3rd place. So another topic for the media could write about because he "still had to learn the car" and was already pushing Ricciardo, so he could even go faster then?
And then race day, starting from 4th place it only took one lap to get to 2nd after both ‘boys’ from Mercedes crashed. And then the amazing tire handling of Max during the race. 33 laps on one set of tires, but not only that he had to fight Raikkonen for 1st place right until the end of the race. But he managed to do so, because he studied many videos of previous races. He learned were he could get ahead of Raikonnen just enough in order to still be far ahead in front of him when the DRS zone became active. WOW! What an amazing car handling, he never felt out of control he said. And just 4 laps before the end he knew he would finish 1st. And then he made history by becoming the first Dutch winner of a Grand Prix. And also the youngest ever... by 2,5 years.
I was fortunate enough to meet Max after the Spain GP during a sponsor meeting. He told about the strategy during the race, and made a lot of jokes while doing so on the Merc’s and ‘still had to learn the car’. He looked relaxed and was really entertaining the crowd with his humor. Such a nice and down to earth guy, on top of being a super talented racer. When comparing Max to drivers like Hamilton and Raikkonen from a communication and 'likeability' point of view, this guy beats them by miles. They seem like spoiled kids that always are complaining and don't show any emotions about winning or happiness of driving that seem sincere on TV. So besides the fact that Max has won his first GP and made history, he is revamping the Formula 1 world with his driving but also with his likeablility.
Then on Saturday he jumped in the car for the second time to do a qualifying session. Two out of three sessions he already beat his team mate Ricciardo. That woke him up, so he pushed to get 3rd place. So another topic for the media could write about because he "still had to learn the car" and was already pushing Ricciardo, so he could even go faster then?
And then race day, starting from 4th place it only took one lap to get to 2nd after both ‘boys’ from Mercedes crashed. And then the amazing tire handling of Max during the race. 33 laps on one set of tires, but not only that he had to fight Raikkonen for 1st place right until the end of the race. But he managed to do so, because he studied many videos of previous races. He learned were he could get ahead of Raikonnen just enough in order to still be far ahead in front of him when the DRS zone became active. WOW! What an amazing car handling, he never felt out of control he said. And just 4 laps before the end he knew he would finish 1st. And then he made history by becoming the first Dutch winner of a Grand Prix. And also the youngest ever... by 2,5 years.
I was fortunate enough to meet Max after the Spain GP during a sponsor meeting. He told about the strategy during the race, and made a lot of jokes while doing so on the Merc’s and ‘still had to learn the car’. He looked relaxed and was really entertaining the crowd with his humor. Such a nice and down to earth guy, on top of being a super talented racer. When comparing Max to drivers like Hamilton and Raikkonen from a communication and 'likeability' point of view, this guy beats them by miles. They seem like spoiled kids that always are complaining and don't show any emotions about winning or happiness of driving that seem sincere on TV. So besides the fact that Max has won his first GP and made history, he is revamping the Formula 1 world with his driving but also with his likeablility.