Max Verstappen is a name that won’t be hard to remember in the current generation of F1. Nobody in the past or present has ever dominated the F1 grid like the Dutchman. He won 36 races in the last two and a half years. There are still nine more races remaining in the current ongoing season. Moreover, if he can win it all, then he will be the first driver to win 20 races in a season. Currently, he has 11 wins in the 2023 season.
Even though there are nine more races to go, the result is quite clear to everybody. Red Bull will win the constructor title for the second time in a row. On the other hand, Max Verstappen will win his third consecutive Driver’s World Championship. The Dutchman is clearly establishing himself as one of the greatest F1 racers of all time. However, the question arises if his domination is good for the growth of motorsport.
The Exciting & Thrilling Element Of F1 Is Missing Because Of Max Verstappen
The final race of 2021 in Abu Dhabi was so controversial that even today, fans discuss it, calling Hamilton the rightful winner. Lewis Hamilton could have been the eight-time champion that F1 fans have never seen before. Instead, they saw the rise of a new hegemony of a driver. Clearly, fans like excitement, and it comes from the proper competition between two drivers or two teams. But what the fans are seeing right now is one driver dominating the whole thing. As Mercedes boss Toto Wolff rightly puts it, putting Max Verstappen out of the equation would make the race and season more competitive.
Anyway, the record for most wins in a season belongs to the current double-time champion. He won 15 races last year itself. The previous best was 13 wins, and the record belonged to two great German racers, Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel. Well, Schumacher had a great season for Ferrari, but Vettel won 13 races in a season for Red Bull like Max is doing at present. But the win percentage of Grand Prix success that Max Verstappen is enjoying currently is unparalleled by anyone else in history. That’s why not many drivers in history come close to the dominating nature of the Verstappen era.
Everything Changed Since The 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
It took a long time for Formula One to become popular in the US market. Moreover, the Netflix series Drive To Survive really helped in the growth of popularity in the USA. Especially the incredibly exciting 2021 season was itself a huge success because of the enormity of the situation. That season saw an exciting battle between Red Bull and Mercedes, F1 teams. And also then reigning champion Lewis Hamilton and the challenger Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
The fight between the two drivers was so exciting that it inspired the makers of the Netflix series to do a documentary or something like that. It was the season when the fans saw the rise of the new champion, Max Verstappen, and the fall of the greatest, Lewis Hamilton. Moreover, the seven-time champion has undoubtedly been the most successful racer in history. Hence, the fall of the greatest drew a lot of audience and fan base.