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You can look at the broad sweep of his season and say his dominance was great. Or you can save yourself time and enjoy the opening moments of Sunday’s rain-whipped Japanese Grand Prix.
Both will detail Max Verstappen’s right to call himself the double world champion he now is, and will surely remain once the FIA have returned their verdict on any, probably small, budget-cap breaches on Monday.
The 25-year-old Dutchman started on pole, but lost a little wet ground to Charles Leclerc when the lights went out. With calculation, defiance and deftness, he then went round the outside of the first bend in treacherous conditions and came out of those opening corners ahead and in charge.
Max Verstappen won his second world championship in the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday
Yes, he was driving a very fine Red Bull drawn by the pencil of design guru Adrian Newey, but never could it have been directed more adroitly than by the gold-booted Verstappen.
Fantails of spray blinding, debris strewn hither and thither, an advertising hoarding stuck to Pierre Gasly’s car, a tractor ludicrously and dangerously on track, Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz retired, a safety car deployed, a red flag waved and a two-hour delay triggered, yet Verstappen’s daringly late braking move earned him an open road to a slice of history.
He was made to bide his time as the race was suspended. He did so calmly. Others on the eve of championship successes pretend to be as cool as Magnums but really are inferno-hot with concern. He didn’t seem like that and the comfort blanket of having four races remaining after Sunday’s helped his psyche, no doubt.
Verstappen was handed the championship after Charles Leclerc was given a late penalty
There are a few theories about the quality of Verstappen’s driving this year. One is offered by Christian Horner, his team boss, who said: ‘Max has grown since last season. Winning his first title released a lot of pressure from his shoulders.’
But…
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Source : dailymail
