Max Verstappen Lapped the Formula One Field in 2023
In the interest of saving time, paper and ink, instead of talking about all the races Max Verstappen won on his way to clinching his third straight world drivers’ championship, let’s talk about the ones he didn’t win: He finished second twice in the first four races, in Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan, and he had a fifth-place finish in Singapore, a track that has always given him problems.
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Otherwise, Verstappen was uncatchable, reeling off a record 10-race winning streak and sealing the title with six to spare. Wrapping up the title didn’t stop the parade of wins. Despite having nothing to race for except pride and prize money, the Red Bull driver won his next four Grands Prix after clinching.
Verstappen was a force to be reckoned with in 2023, winning 19 of 22 Formula 1 races.
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The season was a perfect storm for the 26-year-old. He’s always had an absurd amount of talent, a mix of instinct, guts and reflexes he got from his parents, both of whom raced. In 2023 he had the best car as well as plenty of luck, avoiding the pitfalls (a minuscule engine part failing, a botched tire strategy, etc.) that usually befall even the best at least a couple of times per season.
His dominance comes at a time when his sport continues to enjoy a surge in popularity in the U.S., thanks in part to Netflix’s Formula 1: Drive to Survive series. There are those, naturally, who argue that Verstappen’s winning ways are making F1 boring. But maybe this is an opportunity for Netflix to commission a sequel: Formula 1: The Race to Be No. 2.
