Dutch Lion Max Verstappen Has Etched His Name Amongst F1’s Greats

Max Verstappen is undoubtedly one of the best racing talents in recent history. When the Dutchman arrived in F1, he was seen as an aggressive and fearless young driver who was hard to read and did not hesitate to say what was on his mind.

While never completely backing down from this image, Verstappen has grown into quite the sophisticated racer. Now, he can weigh up a situation and think things through before acting on them. And he has a world championship to his name, which enlists him among F1 elites.

However, in his 7 years of racing, there have been questions about whether the Red Bull driver deserved more. He has competed strongly with Lewis Hamilton, and Sebastian Vettel over the years, but has failed to win championships before 2021.

WATCH THIS STORY: Inside Michael Schumacher’s Car Collection

With that in mind, a what-if scenario hurts no one. So, as per F1Analysis.com, Verstappen deserves more. According to this mathematical model, which compares the driver with their teammates, the Dutchman has been the best performing driver in 2015, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021.

Max Verstappen has been the number 1 driver in recent history

Before we go into how Max Verstappen was the best driver in recent history, it’s time to break down the model and the problems attached to it. The model uses the data on every driver in F1 to give them a score and rank against every teammate they had. It also takes experience into consideration.

However, the pace of the car and the reliability issues during a season are not taken into account. The 2015 season saw Verstappen paired with Carlos Sainz. It was his first year in Formula 1 with Toro Rosso, but he showed no fear and scored points regularly.

In fact, he finished the season with 49 points while his teammate only finished with 18. In 2018 with Red Bull, the model says he reached his peak. Competing with an experienced Daniel Ricciardo, Verstappen once again stole the show. Although he finished 4th in the standings, he earned plaudits for an extraordinary season.

The 2019 and 2020 seasons saw the reigning champion contending with Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon. The two relatively inexperienced drivers struggled to compete with him. And once again, the difference between Verstappen and the two drivers has prompted the data to show his dominance.

READ MORE: Marko Names Max Verstappen the Greatest Red Bull F1 Driver Ahead of Sebastian Vettel

One could say his 2021 season was his best. Of course, he won the championship, but his battle with Hamilton showed how far Verstappen had come. The championship is just a cherry on top of the cake. However, the model also suggests that his teammates were relatively inexperienced and the rankings could change if he drops his level.

Is Verstappen one of the best drivers of all time?

The start of the 2022 season has once again proved to be stellar for Max. He is currently on top of the driver’s standings and has already won 4 races. However, it is too early to predict the winner. He has Charles Leclerc on his tail while his experienced teammate Sergio Perez is also in contention.

The graph by F1 Analysis suggests that Leclerc is currently not at the same level as the Dutch driver. However, it also states that the Monegasque has had a better 2022 season. So, the battle between the two could go right down to the wire.

Nonetheless, Verstappen’s career trajectory has been on the rise. And not to forget that the 24-year-old has his best years ahead of him. Although the model says he is one of the best F1 drivers ever, it could change with time. But he is maturing and could win more titles, without a doubt.

So what is your take? Is it too early to include Max in the greatest of all-time conversations? Let us know in the comments.