Max Verstappen’s Secret to Winning Championships Goes Back to 2021, Explains Dutchman’s Former Coach

Max Verstappen is currently the most dominant driver in Formula One, probably in the history of the sport. He has broken several records in his pursuit of being a 3-time world champion, and he might continue to break more this season. After a disappointing DNF ruined his streak of 9 wins, he is definitely hungry for more, and starting at the Japanese Grand Prix, we might get to see the streak begin again.

While the car is usually credited with Max Verstappen’s triumph, there is no doubt that he is an incredible driver himself. But what is the secret behind his dominance? This is something his former coach explores on the Sky Sports F1 podcast.

What changed to make Max Verstappen a reigning world champion?

During the Sky Sports F1 podcast, the host, Matt Baker, asked Bradley Scanes about how 2021 was a different year for the driver and how it helped him defeat the 7-time world champion Lewis Hamilton. To this, Scanes replied, “In terms of Max as a driver, we had quite a considerable defacing car; that Mercedes in 2020 was far superior than our Red Bull, you know, Max would often split the two Mercedes drivers in less than, you know, good car.”

After explaining the situation Verstappen fought through, he mentions the importance of points, saying, “I think what 2021 brought was maturity to win championships, a recognition that second place was okay, even to the point where in Budapest , driving with half a floor, you know I think we came in 9th place, was fine because that’s one point. And you know, you look at how we went into Abu Dhabi neck and neck, you know all these points mattered.”

Reflecting on the past experience with Verstappen and Red Bull, Bradley Scanes continued, “So, you know, where there might have been a DNF in the past or something else happened during a race, it was the ability to see the bigger picture and to go from someone that can win races to someone that can win championships. And you see that even more now, you know, he’s grown even more in terms of the ability to work through a race weekend and work for a race season is phenomenal.“

Max Verstappen has always been a promising driver with high potential to become the world champion. His performance during the rookie season itself was a testament to his speed and endurance. Over the years, the Formula 1 champion has grown to be confident with the likes that the sport has never seen before. While Ferrari keeps competing hard to defeat the defending champion, there have been rumors of the uncertainty of Ford Power Unit’s partnership with Red Bull.

Max Verstappen is not worried about the Ford Partnership

Red Bull Racing is set to embark on a new project with Ford as their power unit supplier for the 2026 Formula One season. For this, the team will have to bid farewell to their successful partnership with Honda since 2019, which has seen them become dominant in the sport since 2022. Recently, Max Verstappen addressed questions and uncertainties surrounding the transition to the new power unit, saying that he is not worried about the transition.

Verstappen even joked, “I mean, if I have to speculate about everything, I might be worried if I’m still alive tomorrow, right?” The defending champion stated that he maintains close communication with Christian Horner, the team principal of Red Bull Racing, regarding the project. He is confident that the team will figure out the solution to this issue as soon as possible.

That being said, Max Verstappen is ready to get back on track after his unfortunate retirement last race. Do you think he will bring home the prize for Red Bull in Japan? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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