Era of domination often doesn’t sit well with fans of any sport. It’s great if it’s your guy on top, but it sucks when it isn’t. Motorsports also go through these cycles of pure domination, which more often than not spark polarized reactions. There is one side that proudly boasts about their consistently champion driver, while the other turns absolutely bitter to the core. Jimmie Johnson was no stranger to this experience during his glory days.

This paradoxical irony haunted the 7x World Champion back then, and now it seems to have caught up with Max Verstappen, whose recent dominance mirrors the career trajectory of Jimmie Johnson. Jimmie Johnson has dropped some words of wisdom, which can come in really handy for Verstappen.

“Too Boring, All You Do is Win”: Johnson’s Relatability to Verstappen

NASCAR legend Jimmie Johnson recently sat down for a conversation with High Performance where he talked about a wide range of topics, covering his NASCAR career, his switch to IndyCar, and the dangers of motorsport. A key repeating theme in the interview was Johnson’s struggles with how the media and fans viewed him as an “unfazed robot” during his unbeatable reign.

Reflecting on the criticism he faced, the interviewer asked, “I wonder, just going back to the previous point you made about the sort of criticism, I wonder whether you see a bit of Max Verstappen in your story?” implying if Johnson thought Verstappen’s journey had parallels with his own. “I think maybe, yeah,” Johnson admitted when asked if he saw himself in Verstappen’s story. “There will be common points through it, especially if he keeps going and hits seven or eight [championships].”

The face of Formula 1, Max Verstappen, has faced a lot of backlash online and in the media despite his consistent track dominance. The 4x Formula 1 World Champion has started attracting hate for making the sport predictable and “boring.” The 27-year-old has been nicknamed “T-5000” in the media for his stoic personality, often described by fans as cold-blooded and soulless.

This was something Johnson could relate to a lot, noting how it felt like déjà vu. “It’s funny how people view you and look at you and my idea or my process of reinventing myself and becoming more and more serious turned off the American fans they thought I was a robot they didn’t think that I had a personality. I was called vanilla for the longest time and it was wild. I would read these chat rooms or hear comments from fans—’ you’re too boring, all you do is win.’ I’m like, God, it sucks to be me,” Johnson confessed.

Jimmie Johnson was a force of nature in NASCAR, winning 7 championships tying with ‘The King’ Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt. The story of Max Verstappen seems to be destined to replicate the same. Both came to the sport and got unbelievable success pretty early on. With Max now winning 4 championships in a row, he can go on to take up the mantle of the ‘Greatest’ along with Michael Schumacher or Lewis Hamilton, both having won 7 championships each.

If Red Bull keeps on fielding a championship car, Verstappen could possibly even surpass them. Last year Verstappen had already broken the record most wins in a season which was previously held by Schumacher. As this domination continues, he might just be the very person to become the undisputed “GOAT”.

What’s ahead for Verstappen?

With the 2024 F1 season ending on a good note for Verstappen, it does not seem like a problem for him to race under immense media scrutiny and fan trolling. He still looks just as headstrong as he first appeared in 2015. With the parallels Johnson drew during the interview, he hopes Verstappen can pick up lessons to help him deal with the sporting environment as his career progresses. Johnson noted that the public’s perception of high-level dominant athletes grows more critical over time.

While Verstappen has already made it clear that matching or surpassing the records of Hamilton and Schumacher isn’t his priority, “No. I’m not interested in winning seven or eight titles. If you have the car to do so, then great. But even if it doesn’t [happen], I’m happy—I’m already happy, so it’s OK!” Verstappen said when asked about the possibility of 7x world champion.

Johnson, having experienced both adoration and criticism, knows the challenges of wielding the double-edged sword of extreme excellence. While it garners immense success, it also attracts hate. Verstappen can take notes from Johnson’s career, which serves as both a warning and encouragement. It’s up to Verstappen whether he wants to bask in the glory of accolades or embrace the journey and define success his way. And, at the end of the day, This interview reminds us how many will debate, many will go on to hate their success, but no matter what, they can never deny it.

So, what do you think about extreme dominance in sports? Let us know in the comments.