Verstappen charges for next title in tough year

Max Verstappen clinched his fourth Formula One world title in difficult circumstances. The Dutchman ignored Red Bull's loss of ground and internal bickering.

No, he's not Superman, he doesn't want to be, and he can't be. He has no supernatural powers, no X-ray vision, he is not invulnerable, and he cannot fly. Comparisons to nearly omnipotent people in fantasy worlds still come to mind. As a racing driver, Max Verstappen has a superhuman quality.

Superman Verstappen has long starred in Formula 1, with a self-image that matches the fortunes he saw in his early years in the world's most important motorsport series. A high level of driving skills allows him to set lofty goals. After a rocky start with a jarring tone, this belief soon spread throughout his work world. Verstappen was quick to put to rest the doubts of doubters and complainers who, at 17, denied he was fit for the top job.

Max Verstappen celebrated his first victory in 2016.Picture: www.imago-images.de

Verstappen created many movie scenes during his first decade as a Formula One driver. Among other things, his first countable result proved this, finishing seventh on his second start at the Malaysian Grand Prix – as a Toro Rosso employee and therefore not driving a Group 1 car. He won his first title three years ago in a dramatic and controversial final in Abu Dhabi.

internal power struggle

After two seasons of blatant dominance by Verstappen, with the Dutchman shifting and controlling at will in his best car yet, his path to a fourth title was once again a sight to behold on and off the track. Verstappen has shown his quality this year. He is no longer the only entertainer in the Red Bull camp, and certainly no longer the undisputed protagonist.

The source of internal bickering and power struggles has been thrust into the spotlight as team owner Christian Horner, who has been thrust into the twilight zone “over inappropriate behavior towards staff”. Designer Adrian Newey has lost the basis for his serious work due to the toxic climate, and the racing team has lost its athletic ability. His departure will provide enough material for a movie.

This year has not been easy for Verstappen and Horner.Image: trapezoid

With the “Horner incident” that shook the company's headquarters and Newey's departure, the structure of the Red Bull Racing Team became unbalanced. Verstappen has lost part of the breeding ground that allowed him to continue to grow as a driver and a person. The commonality that had grown over the years and represented great success was no longer there. World champions no longer have the same working conditions.

Of those on the executive floor, only Helmut Marko, employed as a consultant to the beverage empire's motorsports division, had his full confidence. However, there will be no standstill. The world champion, old and new, will look for a solution with his father Jos, his most important contact outside the Formula 1 bubble.

The difficult conditions naturally took their toll on Verstappen. He grew thin-skinned. He made no secret of his criticism and publicly expressed his dissatisfaction. The partnership with his employer became a turning point. At the same time, even the continuation of the cooperation and the performance of his contract (valid until the end of the 2028 season) are threatened. The man accustomed to success finds himself in the position of a long-time winner that has become alien to him, returning him to a situation where he and his colleagues could not find anything in a title fight with Lewis. The age of means of survival. Hamilton and Mercedes.

After a fantastic start to the season, Verstappen had little to celebrate for a long time.Image: trapezoid

This was too much for Verstappen to bear. The changing power structure in Formula One troubles him, as does the team's slide to fourth place. Further development of the car in the wrong direction brought to light his virtues as a driver, which he seemed to have long left behind and no longer needed in a period of absolute dominance.

crossed the line

Verstappen rediscovered compromise and cruelty. In the duel with McLaren British driver Lando Norris, he repeatedly exceeded the allowed limit, and the technical staff made clever adjustments to put McLaren in first place among Formula One teams. His ambition, his stubbornness, and the thought of possibly being defeated in the championship race drove him to act rashly from time to time, causing him to have another red flag on the blue car.

Until three weeks ago at the slippery Sao Paulo Grand Prix, when Verstappen started from 17th on the grid and stormed to victory, he had not won ten consecutive grands prix. It was a flawless performance, without any hint of flirting with rivals. This is the penultimate step in another successful defense of the title. A world class performance, definitely worthy of being made into a movie.

Verstappen was finally able to win again in the rainy race in Brazil.Image: fxp-fr-sda-rtp

Without Dutch intervention, the unsatisfactory phase might have lasted longer or started earlier. He won in the first third of the season, when the technical advantage was no longer on his side, when not only McLaren's engineers but also those from Mercedes and Ferrari had done a better development job . Verstappen relied on his skills to win or finish on the podium during that time. His driving skills allow him to partially compensate for the car's weaknesses.

Verstappen will not keep a record of his latest behavior. He doesn't care about statistics and doesn't like comparisons, especially to riders from other eras. His cool outlook has nothing to do with arrogance. Since winning his first championship, he has only lived in the present in his daily sporting life. He saves his sights for looking back after his career is over.

Therefore, Verstappen will calmly accept the fact that in the case of four consecutive world championship titles, he belongs to so far only Manuel Fangio, Michael Schumacher, Sebastian A circle that Vettel and Hamilton have entered. A record of eight wins and five podiums so far this season despite the turmoil is testament to what a fantastic racer, a superman, can achieve. There is something superhuman about the Dutch. (Ritz/SDA)

Grasshoppers drew 1-1 with Winterthur in their first game under new coach Thomas Olar. Winterthur equalized through Remo Arnold in injury time. After 15 rounds of the Chinese Super League, GC is still at the bottom. The Young Boys drew 1-1 with Lucerne. The draw was particularly galling for the Bernese. Lausanne defeated Sion.

Four days after Thomas Olar was appointed as new coach and hoping to avoid relegation, Grasshoppers are not performing like a bottom team. Letsegrund's home side looked to attack with remarkable courage. Even if they lost their way at times, they often created scoring chances. GC had already earned that advantage when Nicolas Mucci scored his third goal of the season in the 78th minute.