Max Verstappen Not a ‘True Champion’ for One Strange Reason According to Former World Champion

Max Verstappen won his first race in Canada on his 150th Grand Prix. This marks his 6th victory in the 2022 season as he further extends the lead at the top of the championship. The Dutch national anthem playing on the podium is now becoming a common occurrence.

However, the Red Bull driver failed to do one thing in Canada that champions usually do. He is yet to crash in the iconic Wall of Champions in the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Turn 14 is the location of one of F1’s most infamous chicanes, where multiple world champions have crashed.

Former F1 champion Jacques Villeneuve jokingly said Verstappen should hit the wall to become a ‘true champion.’ The Canadian himself has been a victim of the notorious turn 14, while the likes of Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel, and several champions have also suffered collisions here.

Speaking in the F1 Nation podcast, he stated, “How disappointing! How disappointing, you are only a true champion if you hit that wall. I mean, I started it, hit it twice, Michael did it, Damon hit it, Jenson hit it as well. So, I don’t think Max hit it. He needs to hit the wall first.”

READ MORE: Why Is Turn 14 of the F1 Canadian GP Called the Wall of Champions?

Villeneuve, the local hero in Canada, crashed on two separate occasions in the Wall of the Champions. The first was in 1997, where he qualified second, but lost control and crashed into the barriers.

The second incident was in 1999, when multiple drivers, including Michael Schumacher, collided in the same chicane. Fortunately for Verstappen, the Wall of champions did not hamper his race this time.

Max Verstappen opens up on his chances of winning the championship

It’s becoming more clear that Verstappen has matured over the years. He has always shown potential, but he is now dominating races. Of course, Red Bull arguably has the fastest car on the grid, but 6 wins in 9 races is an impressive achievement.

On Sunday, his ability to defend was on show, as he valiantly kept Carlos Sainz at bay despite the Spaniard having fresher tires. After this triumph, he is now 46 points ahead of his teammate Perez and 49 ahead of Leclerc. However, he believes that the championship could change its course.

Speaking after the race, he said, “It’s still a very long way and I know the gap of course is quite big, but I also know that it can switch around very quickly. I mean, race three I was 46 behind, so we just need to stay calm, we need to focus, we need to improve, because today we’re not the quickest. “

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The reigning champion is arguably in the form of his life. After this win in Canada, he will hope to carry the momentum and secure his second championship.