After Max Verstappen’s third world title, his companions and rivals sang hymns of praise. Blaming the success solely on the superior car is not enough – the Dutchman has undergone an astonishing development.
After the title is before the next race. The fact that Max Verstappen scored his World Cup hat-trick at an unusual time on Saturday evening did not make him or his racing team overconfident. The house energy drink and non-alcoholic beer for toasting were due to the fact that the Qatar Grand Prix still had to be driven on Sunday, the sixth to last race of a season that had already started early. That’s why the obligatory master photo, after which everyone usually pours the contents of the beverage cans on themselves, was taken not in front of, but behind the garage at the Losail International Circuit. A sticky pit right of way that could have jeopardized success or resulted in a penalty. This is how Formula 1 champions think.