24 January 2024 , 20:30
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Max Verstappen is under no illusions that his fairytale domination of the Formula 1 world will one day come to an end.
Right now, the sport unmistakeably belongs to the Dutchman. He is on a streak of three championship successes in a row, each more emphatic than the last to the point that his 2023 results smashed a swathe of single-season F1 records.
It came about by the ideal combination of probably the best driver on the grid being behind the wheel of what was certainly the fastest car. A more dominant machine than the RB19 compared to its rivals may never be built.
With the next major car rules change not set to come in until 2026, Red Bull and Verstappen are well set-up for at least two more years on their perch. But even the 26-year-old know that, sadly for him, it will not last forever.
Speaking to The Times, he said: "It cannot always be like this, I know that. The season we've had has been probably the best single season performance in F1, in terms of stats and records.
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"So I know that it will be very hard to try and do better than that. I think I just have to manage my expectations from now on. That's just something that you have to keep telling yourself."
Sebastian Vettel knows all too well that what the Dutchman says is true. The German racer won four in a row for Red Bull between 2010 and 2013 when the team last enjoyed a dominant spell and, after what proved to be his penultimate race win for the team, made a statement of which Verstappen's words are reminiscent.
"I'm speechless... We have to remember these days," he famously said after the 2013 United States Grand Prix. "There's no guarantee that they will last forever. Enjoy them as long as they last. I love you guys."
Verstappen already has more career wins than Vettel managed throughout his entire time in F1. And he needs just one more title success to match what the German managed at Red Bull. But he has consistently said that he is not interested in matching or surpassing what has been achieved by F1 greats of the past.
He said: "When I won my first title, I said, everything that comes next is a bonus because, realistically, in F1, I've achieved everything that I wanted to achieve. Being on the podium, having a pole position, winning a championship. These kinds of things were my dream to achieve in Formula 1. From now on, I'm just trying to stay on top."