On May 5, 2016, Red Bull made what will go down as the boldest decision in Formula 1 history. A decision that would change Verstappen’s life and help redefine F1. The young Verstappen was promoted from Toro Rosso, the junior team where he was first noticed despite his lack of single-seater racing experience, to take Daniil Kvyat’s spot with the former world champions Red Bull Racing.
It’s unusual for a team to change a driver after just four races into a season, let alone one who, 18 days before, had a podium finish. But, despite criticism from other drivers in the paddock, Red Bull was resilient in their belief in F1’s young driver’s ability.
The Dutchman has become one of our generation’s (if not the most) prolific drivers and the first name in the Sports Geek F1 betting categories.
A memorable Red Bull debut
Verstappen was thrown into the deep end that is a Formula 1 qualifying session just over a week after being revealed as Daniel Ricciardo’s new teammate. He was 0.4s slower than Ricciardo, which was understandable, but he still qualified fourth on the grid. Verstappen was focused on keeping the Ferraris at bay on race day, and despite his position, he was probably not dreaming about a first F1 podium.
The race was turned on its head by a memorable collision between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, the title contenders for a dominating Mercedes.
It was now a Red Bull vs. Ferrari duel, and it appeared that the teams’ main drivers, Ricciardo and Sebastian Vettel, would battle for victory when both drivers pitted first. But a two-stop strategy was more favourable, and thus Verstappen faced off against Kimi Räikkönen in a battle for victory.
Räikkönen, an F1 world champion 18 years Verstappen’s older, attacked the Red Bull on practically every lap, but Verstappen hung on for a historic victory thanks to incredible car placement and maturity.
He was no longer only Formula 1’s youngest driver; he was also the sport’s youngest winner and the only driver to win on his debut since Fernando Alonso in 2010.
A star was born.
Verstappen ended with four podiums and six top-five finishes in his first eight races with Red Bull. Verstappen produced a drive that is arguably even more well-known than Spain after his first season, rebounding from 16th in a Brazilian GP rain to the third position.
But, for all his promise and instant effect – putting pressure on Ricciardo from the start – Verstappen was still a raw Formula 1 driver, with mistakes and concerns about his behaviour and driving style aplenty.
Max Verstappen was 19 years and 44 days old when he set the fastest lap in the 2016 Brazilian Grand Prix, over two-tenths faster than teammate Daniel Ricciardo. Max finished third in the race and earned a spot on the podium.
The 2021 Formula One season was the most remarkable yet, as Max Verstappen set yet another record. Verstappen set the record for most podium finishes in a season with 18 in the top three, 10 of which were wins, and 8 in second place.
Verstappen has already secured the 2022 Formula One World Championship, and Oracle Red Bull Racing has already won the constructors’ championship. The Dutchman’s victory at the 2022 Mexican Grand Prix was his 14th of the season, which is a new record.
