Following the results of Saturday’s sprint in Qatar, Max Verstappen became the 2023 world champion ahead of schedule. He won his third title five races before the end of the season, and the next day he won the Grand Prix, taking his 49th victory in Formula 1. .
In an interview with L’Equipe, Alain Prost, four-time world champion, not only spoke highly of the Dutch Red Bull Racing driver, but also suggested that Verstappen will continue to perform at the same level in the near future.
Alain Prost: “Winning a third title is a huge achievement in itself, but what is even more impressive is that Max won three championships in a row, something few have achieved. His strength, in my opinion, is that he clearly understands how to work on himself, never stops and always strives to achieve more.
He is a versatile and highly talented driver who strives to achieve excellence every time he gets behind the wheel. When we hear him complaining on the radio about the car’s behavior during the first Friday practice, it is not the irritation of an impatient boy who makes mistakes and for whom everything periodically ends in an accident.
Not at all, and that Max was stuck in the past at the end of 2021, when his exciting confrontation with Lewis Hamilton came to an end. I’m not talking about the controversial Abu Dhabi Grand Prix finale, but about how he and the Red Bull Racing team struggled all season with Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes.
Beating the seven-time world champion gave him confidence in his abilities. That first title made him stronger, after which Max became much calmer and only his desire to realize the ideal remained the same. This is a bad sign for his opponents as he is unlikely to retire anytime soon.
The regulations and rules in Formula 1 will not change for the next two years, so Max retains the same strength. Thanks to this real unity with the team, they will take on a new challenge together in 2026 and in any case remain among the contenders for the championship.”
When Prost was asked how the situation might change if Milton Keynes were for some reason unable to build a competitive car, he replied: “When I was in Formula 1, the thing I was most concerned about was that I would not be able to participate in Formula 1. battle for the title. The worst was in 1987 or 1991, when the car did not allow me to do this. I think the same can be said for Verstappen: he will stay motivated, not because he wants to win seven titles like Michael Schumacher or Lewis Hamilton, but because he knows he can fight for victories every weekend.
He will likely retain this skill for years to come.”
Source: F1 News
I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.
