Max Verstappen change noticed as F1 champion spots "bad sign" in Red Bull star

13 October 2023 , 15:38

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Max Verstappen is well-placed to dominate the F1 world for years to come (Image: AFP via Getty Images)

Max Verstappen's title-winning combination of incredible speed and new-found maturity is a "bad sign" for his Formula 1 rivals, believes Alain Prost.

Aged 26, the Dutchman is already a triple champion, having secured his third title in as many years at last weekend's Qatar Grand Prix. And it was his simplest championship charge to date, winning 14 of 17 races so far this season with five still to go.

His Red Bull contract ties him down for another five seasons. And he will still only be 31 when that deal expires meaning, if he wants to, Verstappen will still have plenty of time to carry on and have the chance to break all the F1 records that he hasn't already made his own.

Next on his to-do list will be another successful title defence in 2024. Achieving that would see him join Sebastian Vettel and Prost in the exclusive club of four-time F1 champions – and the Frenchman is certain Verstappen has what it takes.

"Winning a third title is already something great," he wrote in his L'Equipe column. "To win one in a row is even greater. Because only a few great names have managed it. But I think what makes Max Verstappen so great and so strong is his ability to be a great driver that he has been able to develop in order never to stumble and always to want more.

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"There is no doubt that he has succeeded in becoming a great driver. But what, in my opinion, makes him even stronger is the way in which he has learned to be one with his car and his team.

"He's a great who strives for perfection every day. When you hear the driver complaining about the bad behaviour of his single-seater during free practice on Friday morning, it's not the anger of the kid who used to make mistakes and sometimes ended up in the wall because of his impatience.

"No – this Max disappeared at the end of 2021 at the end of his magnificent battle against Lewis Hamilton. I'm not going to talk about the highly controversial Abu Dhabi finale, but about the way he and his Red Bull battled throughout the season against Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes.

"Beating the seven-time world champion gave him confidence and self-assurance. That first title made him stronger. Since then, he has calmed down – except in his quest for perfection.

"It's a bad sign for the competition because I don't see him leaving any time soon. The next two years without regulatory changes won't do much to change its current strength. And, from 2026, as he is in symbiosis with his team, they'll be able to rise to the challenge together and at least fight for the title."

Daniel Moxon