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Max Verstappen, even when his team is struggling, continues to grab the attention of key figures in F1 with his talent and impressive driving. The young Dutch driver once again amazed F1 fans at the Mexico City Grand Prix, where he eventually took the win.
However, he faced a tough challenge with two ten-second time penalties due to incidents with Lando Norris, his biggest rival this season.
While many critics have focused on Verstappen’s recent performance, Eddie Jordan compared the 27-year-old's driving to that of legendary F1 driver Michael Schumacher. Jordan believes that Max has been untouchable for a while now, considering him far ahead of the competition.
“Yes, he was very, very tough in Mexico,” Jordan said, as quoted by Crash.
“Listen, we know he is Michael Schumacher in disguise, isn’t he? Honestly. Max is just a demon when he gets into that car. Puts the helmet on and the horns grow."
Jordan stresses that Red Bull's driver will learn an important lesson from Mexico and make significant progress in the near future. Verstappen is known for being an aggressive driver, always hungry for success, so these situations are unusual for him. The popular F1 figure compared Max to his father, Jos, who was also great on F1 tracks in the past but doesn’t quite match the quality of his son.
"And, I think Mexico, they give a good slap on the wrist, and I hope he learns from it, because some of the stuff that we saw is not necessarily what we would like to see.
But nevertheless, that’s Max race, and that’s his style, and he’s not going to lose that. He probably gets it from Jos, his dad.”- he continued.
David Coulthard reacts
David Coulthard pointed out that Max Verstappen is like a modern-day Michael Schumacher because he’s not afraid to push the limits to see what he can get away with in racing. He thinks this boldness is a big part of Verstappen's success, and it makes other drivers realize they need to match his energy.
The dominance that he has had for several seasons behind us has impressed many, who believe that it will be difficult for anyone to dethrone the Dutchman. The last crisis of the Austrian team has awakened optimism among some that Lando Norris could be the one to lead the F1 world. The young Briton is motivated to finally put an end to Red Bull's dominance.
Coulthard also mentioned that after the debates surrounding the race in Austin, penalties were expected to be handed out in Mexico. However, he believes Verstappen won’t change his approach if similar situations come up again. He stressed that drivers have to make quick decisions while racing at high speeds, and they can only figure out who’s ahead at key moments by taking chances. So, Coulthard thinks Verstappen will keep driving the way he does.
It is hard to imagine Max as someone else, as a driver who will quickly change his tactics and driving style. Such a scenario is far from reality, but Verstappen certainly has to be more careful when it comes to the next races, considering that penalties are very capable of spoiling the drivers' plans.
In the end, Coulthard said that Verstappen's uniqueness is what makes him exciting to watch. He stated that every sport needs its stars and its villains to create an interesting storyline.
Christian Horner reacts
Christian Horner, Red Bull team principal, aware that they are now in a difficult situation, is not particularly happy with the F1 penalties, marking them as very harsh. The main man of Red Bull has his view of the situation, considering that Verstappen did not violate any rules at all.
“There’s great racing going on and I think it’s just important that the rules of engagement are fair, rather than giving an advantage to the outside line,” -Christian Horner said, as quoted by Formula 1.
It is frustrating that at one moment you have things in your hands and the chance to be ahead of the competition again, and at the next moment you realize that your rival is closing in on you. Horner and others within Red Bull are probably worried about what the future holds, and what scenarios to expect. It will be extremely difficult for everyone to stand up to Norris, who has now picked up the rhythm.
“It’s frustrating in that you don’t want to have to consult a rule book on every single overtake or defence. All of these guys have grown up doing a lot of racing and understand the principles of that."- Horner concluded.
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