Max Verstappen
Max Verstappen celebrating his second Formula 1 championship on Oct. 9 along with his win at the Japanese Grand Prix.

Max Verstappen, the 25-year-old Red Bull driver, consecutively won two world championships and is on the way to the third. Compare Max to the GOATS of Formula One, like Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher, in terms of what they achieved in 25; Max stands shoulder to shoulder with them or even a step ahead. In this world, some of us can see Max doing better than the seven-time world champions. One such believer is EA Sports! They found Max Verstappen to be the only worthy champion to get featured on the cover of the F1 2023 game’s Standards and Champions Edition.

Max Verstappen being a standalone cover star for the official F1 game is a new thing to celebrate for the Verstappen fandom. But on the other hand, there are fans of Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso who are finding it inappropriate. Obviously, no one disagrees with calling Max the great champion. But he ALONE is not a champion, right? Some argue that the Champion edition should feature all the faces of past champions, just like the Standard edition showcases Mercedes’ superstar and Ferrari’s ace, as well as Lando Norris from McLaren. Nonetheless, EA Sports has already released the cover, honoring Max as the lone champion.

   
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Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso

There was a time when Lewis Hamilton used starstruck people with his stunning consecutive victories. Lewis even surpassed Shucmacher in winning most races. But yet, he could not achieve what Max was doing. Back in the era of Hamilton’s domination, during the mid and late 2010s, Hamilton was featured on the cover of the Champions edition, but he was never alone. Sebastian Vettel, Nico Rosberg, and Max Vesrtappen accopanied him. So if Max stands alone on the cover this year, it really means something immense! 

” I Am Proud To Be The Single Cover Athlete For F123 Champions Edition,” Said Max Verstappen

Now for fans who might be waiting to see how their champ reacts to this great honor he receives, this is what Max VEsratappen tweeted: 

Meanwhile, the official account of EA Sports shared the information: “A cover fit for a champion. Introducing the F1 23 Champions Edition, featuring EA Sports ambassador Max Verstappen.” The trailer of the F1 2023 game was released on May 3 at 4:00 PM BST. 

Not much information has been released yet. However, the leakers are always there to delight us with some of the details. The very reputed leaker Billbil-kun suggests that the franchise will have its next entry between June 13 and 20. Fans are expecting the edition to be more fleshed this time than in 2022. But since there has been a solo hero of the 2022 F1 season, we must get what the hero deserves. Seeing the teaser of the trailer, we can point out there has been a new fictional F1 team for the game, Konnersport. The cover is indeed going to be the cover art of the motorsport game. 

Social media is abuzz with fans debating the Max standalone cover of the champions edition. Many are questioning whether Max Verstappen is a suitable role model for young fans. However, his impressive track record of winning 15 races in one season and defeating a seven-time world champion makes him deserving of the recognition.