Max Verstappen: Can He Win a Fifth F1 World Title?

First thing: we would also be tired of congratulating Max. For goodness sake: we are talking about a Phenomenon. Luca Baldisserri, Schumi's historic track engineer, said it openly when Verstappen was still a minor: this guy here will change F1 with his exploits. And he wasn't wrong.

The character traits of the character may not be exciting. Yet Super max has already marked an era. Four consecutive titles. Won in different ways each time. Often taking advantage of a Red Bull dominant, yes. But also putting a lot of his own into it. Like against Hamilton in the very heated 2021 and like against the aggressive McLaren a year ago.

This time there is something completely new for the Dutchman. Except for a very brief apprenticeship with the former Minardi team between 2015 and 2016, Verstappen has always and only driven single-seaters designed by Adrian Newey, the Wizard of Designers. And honestly, it was a great guarantee! Read to believe: in his career, the former mentor of Super Max, always intended as Newey, has won the following: 13 world drivers' titles won (4 with Williams in 1992, 1993, 1996 and 1997, 2 with McLaren in 1998 and 1999, 8 with Red Bull from 2010 to 2013 and from 2021 to 2024), 12 constructors' titles (5 with Williams from 1992 to 1994, in 1996 and 1997, 1 with McLaren in 1998, 6 with Red Bull from 2010 to 2013 and in 2022 and 2023) and over 200 grand prix won (54 with Williams between 1990 and 1996, 41 with McLaren between 1998 and 2005 and 116 with Red Bull between 2009 and 2024). The cars he designed have reached pole position over 200 times (64 with Williams, 39 with McLaren and more than a hundred with Red Bull).

The big question now is: will Verstappen be able to celebrate his fifth world championship with a Red Bull that is no longer the same as before (he also has a new teammate, the New Zealander Lawson, in place of the Mexican Perez)?

Will he imitate Schumi, who scored a poker with Ferrari between 2000 and 2004? No one has ever done it, before or after. As a stimulus, it's not bad, assuming that Super Max needs stimulation...