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Max Verstappen is one of the greatest talents we have ever seen in the history of Formula 1. Since making his debut in the category in 2015 with Toro Rosso, the young Dutchman has not stopped impressing the whole world, becoming a living legend of the sport, and attracting thousands of fans to Formula 1.
After a good first season with Toro Rosso in 2015, Verstappen was promoted to Red Bull in 2016, taking his first win in his first race, the Spanish GP. At Red Bull, while Mercedes dominated Formula 1, Verstappen was gaining experience and skill, characterizing himself as one of the fastest, most aggressive, and intelligent drivers on the grid, along with a handful of wins and podiums.
In 2021, however, the Dutchman stood up to Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes, breaking their domination and winning his first Formula 1 championship, a feat he repeated again in 2022. During all these years, Verstappen has starred in some of the best moments of Formula 1, so without further ado, let\’s see what they are.
1. Youngest Driver In F1 History – 2015 Australian GP
Verstappen made his Formula 1 debut at the 2015 Australian Grand Prix with Toro Rosso. At 17 years, 5 months, and 15 days, the Dutchman became the youngest driver in the history of the sport.
Verstappen had only raced one full season in single-seaters, but his amazing talent and speed caught the attention of Red Bull’s young driver program, which signed him and promoted him within a couple of months to Toro Rosso.
They did not fail, as Verstappen has proven to be one of the greatest talents of the last decades. The young Dutchman beat the old record for earliness, set by Jaime Alguersuari in 2009 at 19 years, 4 months, and 3 days.
Verstappen qualified 12th in Melbourne and was completing a solid first race in Formula 1 until his engine blew on lap 34 of 58.
2. Youngest Driver To Score Points – 2015 Malaysian GP
In only his second race in Formula 1, Verstappen proved that he is called to do great things, scoring his first points in the category. Qualifying for the Malaysian GP was marked by horrendous conditions, with a huge thunderstorm and torrential rain. Verstappen, instead of being intimidated by the situation, got bigger and faster, looking like he had years of experience.
The young Dutchman qualified in an impressive P6 with his Toro Rosso, just behind the two Red Bulls, and looking for a good result on Sunday. In the race, he did not crack under pressure and proved to be at the level of the best.
With his midfield Toro Rosso, Verstappen held off attacks from the faster cars behind to cross the finish line in an incredible 7th place, ahead of his teammate and the two Red Bulls. This was the first time we really saw what he was capable of.
3. Incredible Overtaking On The Outside – 2015 Belgian GP
The 2015 Belgian Grand Prix was not easy for Max Verstappen. The young Dutchman started from the fourteenth position, so he had to overtake some positions to score points.
Nevertheless, Verstappen put in a phenomenal performance, making his way down the grid to the eighth position. What caught the most attention that day was one of the overtakes he made as he climbed up the grid.
On lap 10, the Dutchman was twelfth and was fighting for the eleventh position against Felipe Nasr. Without a second thought, Verstappen tried the overtake on the outside of the fast Turn 18, entering the final chicane side-by-side with Nasr.
With steely hands and determination, Verstappen braked later than Nasr at the chicane and completed this impressive overtake, which was later named the best overtake of the season.
4. Making His Way Through The Grid – 2015 United States GP
The 2015 United States Grand Prix weekend, held in Austin, Texas, was marked from start to finish by poor weather conditions, with heavy rain causing the cancellation of the final free practice and qualifying session.
As a result, the starting grid was formed with the results of Q2. Verstappen qualified a solid ninth and looked to score some points on Sunday. The race started with light rain, so the drivers put on intermediate tires. Due to the weather, there was some initial chaos on the first lap, but Verstappen avoided it and started to follow the faster cars.
Verstappen had a strong pace, and worked his way through the grid, passing several drivers on track with his midfield Toro Rosso to finish in a solid 4th place, just behind both Mercedes and Sebastian Vettel\’s Ferrari.
This incredible performance earned him the praise and attention of the media and the F1 community in general while establishing himself as one of the young promises of the category.
5. Youngest Race Winner In History – 2016 Spanish GP
After 4 races with Toro Rosso in the 2016 season, Max Verstappen was promoted to Red Bull as of the Spanish GP, replacing Russian Daniil Kvyat due to his poor start to the season. Thus, the young Dutchman had for the first time a competitive car with which to fight for podiums and victories, although the pressure was much greater. Nevertheless, Verstappen did not break under pressure and completed a dream debut weekend.
Verstappen qualified fourth, just behind Mercedes and new teammate Daniel Ricciardo. On Sunday, luck was on his side, and he soon climbed to second place after title contenders and teammates Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton collided on the first lap and were out of the race.
Ricciardo had a 3-stop strategy, while Verstappen opted for the opposite and lengthened his stint, which proved to be more effective. Verstappen led the second part of the race, and for 30 laps he withstood the attacks of Kimi Raikkonen\’s Ferrari, which was unable to overtake him.
Thus, at 18 years, 7 months, and 15 days, Verstappen became the youngest driver in history to win a race, definitively establishing himself as one of the great talents of the generation, very much to be reckoned with in the years to come.
6. Masterclass Under The Rain – 2016 Brazilian GP
The 2016 Brazilian Grand Prix was marked by heavy rain that flooded much of the circuit and allowed for poor visibility, tough conditions that made Verstappen shine in what was arguably his finest moment behind the wheel.
The young Dutchman qualified fourth, behind both Mercedes and Kimi Raikkonen\’s Ferrari, and in the race, he was looking for the podium. On Sunday, all drivers started with intermediate tires, as there was light rain. As the laps went by, the rain was getting heavier, there was less grip and visibility was worse, so the drivers started to pit to change to full wet tires.
Verstappen tried a different strategy, staying longer than most on intermediate tires, being one of the drivers who took the longest to stop, with only 16 laps to go. The Dutchman came out of the pit lane in sixteenth position, so it did not look very favorable.
However, Verstappen gave a master class in driving in the rain, going at a much faster pace than the rest of the drivers and overtaking 11 cars on track to reach third position. The Dutchman received thousands of accolades and praises after his incredible performance, being compared to great legends such as Ayrton Senna or Michael Schumacher.
7. From P16 To The Podium – 2017 Chinese GP
For the 2017 Chinese Grand Prix, Verstappen started from sixteenth on the grid, on intermediate tires due to a wet track. The Dutchman was looking for a solid race without many accidents in order to score good points for the championship.
Verstappen completed an astonishing opening lap in Shanghai, moving up nine positions, and thus reaching the seventh place. After that, he maintained a good pace and completed overtake after overtake. On lap 8 he made a fantastic move on Kimi Raikkonen\’s Ferrari on the outside to move into fourth, just behind teammate Daniel Ricciardo.
A couple of laps later, Verstappen overtook Ricciardo on the inside for second, and then was overtaken by Sebastian Vettel\’s Ferrari after locking tires. The Dutchman finished third in a weekend that looked lost at the start.
8. Comeback For The Win – 2019 Austrian GP
The Austrian Grand Prix is special for Red Bull, as it is their home Grand Prix, held at the Red Bull Ring. Thousands of fans from the Netherlands travel to the Red Bull Ring to cheer on the energy drinks team and its star driver, Verstappen, forming the famous orange tide.
For the 2019 Austrian GP, Verstappen was starting from the second position, but a poor start dropped him to seventh on the opening lap. However, the Dutchman completed an epic recovery drive, overtaking Lando Norris\’ McLaren and Kimi Raikkonen\’s Alfa Romeo shortly after, and completing a successful overcut over Lewis Hamilton to reach P4.
After that, Verstappen began to chase down Sebastian Vettel\’s Ferrari, successfully overtaking it, and soon after made a fantastic inside move on Valtteri Bottas to move into second position. His only remaining rival was Charles Leclerc, whom Verstappen overtook at Turn 3 with a risky move on the inside in which they touched twice.
Despite that controversial move for some, and complaints from Ferrari, Verstappen retained first position, completing a great comeback in front of his fans.
9. Revenge At Interlagos – 2019 Brazilian GP
During the 2018 Brazilian Grand Prix, Verstappen was leading the race until he had an accident with Esteban Ocon, a lapped driver, which caused him to lose the victory. A year later, the Dutchman wanted to take revenge for what happened and triumph once and for all on Brazilian soil.
Verstappen started from pole position, ahead of Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton, but an undercut by the Briton made him lose the lead during the early stages of the race. However, after pitting, in what was the fastest pit stop in history (1.82 seconds), the Dutchman overtook Lewis Hamilton to take the lead again.
During the closing stages of the race, an accident caused the Safety Car to come out, and Verstappen pitted again, while Mercedes and Hamilton decided to stay out, retaking the lead. After the restart, Verstappen made an incredible move on the outside of Turn 1 over Hamilton and moved back into the lead, which he never gave up again.
Thus, Verstappen took revenge for what happened in the previous year, taking his third victory of the season after a fantastic mistake-free drive.
10. Class Victory – 2020 70th Anniversary GP
During the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix at Silverstone, intense heat accelerated tire wear, causing extensive blistering across the grid. Verstappen qualified fourth, behind both Mercedes and Racing Point\’s Nico Hulkenberg.
On Sunday, both Mercedes suffered badly from blistering, so the Silver Arrows made early stops, while Verstappen stayed out longer, leading the race. Verstappen made a late pit stop, and came out second, just behind Valtteri Bottas. The Dutchman took advantage of his fresher tires and made a spectacular move around the outside, moving into the lead again.
Red Bull\’s great strategy and Verstappen\’s good tire care made this fantastic victory at Silverstone possible.
11. Advancing Through The Grid – 2021 Russian GP
Verstappen started the 2021 Russian Grand Prix from the last position, P20, due to a penalty for causing a collision in the previous race and a power unit change. It was very important to complete a good race on Sunday, so as not to lose too many points to Hamilton for the title.
The Dutchman did not shake under pressure, and made an epic comeback through the grid, completing overtake after overtake. By lap 38 he was already seventh, although some way behind the leading cars.
However, during the closing stages of the race, it started to rain lightly and then intensified. For a few laps, most of the drivers on the grid did not know whether to hold out for the remainder of the race or to make a pit stop to change to intermediate tires.
Red Bull and Verstappen were among the first to stop, a strategy that was correct, and the Dutchman, with the track in worse conditions, was running much faster than the drivers who had not yet stopped, thus reaching the second position after a very good performance, and not losing too many points to Hamilton, who won the race.
12. Defending Like A Lion – 2021 United States GP
With 6 races to go, the title fight between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton was at one of the most crucial points of the season. Both drivers arrived at round 17, the United States Grand Prix, held in Austin, very close in points.
Verstappen took pole position on Saturday, while Hamilton qualified second, and both were looking for victory on Sunday. In the race, Hamilton soon overtook Verstappen and took the lead after the first corner. However, Red Bull tried the undercut strategy to get back into the lead.
With fresh tires, Verstappen completed fast lap after fast lap, and when Hamilton and Mercedes stopped, the Dutchman retook the lead. Hamilton had a longer second stint, so he made a late second pit stop, in order to have fresher tires for the closing stages of the race.
With 18 laps to go, the gap between Hamilton and Verstappen was 9 seconds. Hamilton was pushing very hard to close the gap and was getting closer and closer to the Dutchman, who was running in traffic while lapping slower drivers.
Thus, with a couple of laps to go, Hamilton was very close to Verstappen, and was able to use the DRS on the last lap. However, despite the Briton having fresher tires, the Dutchman pushed like a lion, making it impossible for Hamilton to overtake him and taking a crucial victory for the championship.
13. World Champion – 2021 Abu Dhabi GP
The 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was the season finale of the 2021 season, and Verstappen and Hamilton amazingly came in on the same points, so whoever was ahead on Sunday would win the championship. Hamilton was seeking his eighth title, while Verstappen wanted to break the dominant Mercedes era in search of his first championship.
On Saturday, Verstappen took pole position, while Hamilton qualified second. In the race, the Briton soon overtook Verstappen at the first corner, consolidating his lead over the next few laps. Hamilton led most of the race, while Verstappen was a distant second.
However, the race took a 180º turn when an accident of Nicholas Latifi on lap 53, with 5 laps to go, brought a Safety Car. Verstappen and other drivers took the opportunity to change tires, while Hamilton stayed out on old tires. The FIA decided to end the Safety Car with one lap to go, allowing the lapped cars between Hamilton and Verstappen to pass and leaving both drivers side by side to decide the champion on the last lap.
Thus, Verstappen, on fresher tires, made a risky move on Hamilton at Turn 5, taking the lead, and fending off the Briton for the rest of the lap to become world champion in epic fashion. The decisions made by the FIA during the final laps of this Grand Prix were highly controversial, as many saw them as forced to produce a dramatic finish, but in the end, Verstappen retained his title.
14. In A League Of Its Own – 2022 Belgian GP
The 2022 Belgian Grand Prix saw not only one of Verstappen\’s best performances but one of the best ever. The Dutchman started from the fourteenth position due to a power unit change, so he had to climb many positions on Sunday to get a good result.
In the race, the Dutchman made an incredible comeback from the start. Already at the end of the first lap, he was eighth, having completed some good overtaking moves. Verstappen continued his comeback, and soon after, on lap 8, he made his way to the podium positions, running much faster than the rest of the drivers on the grid.
Shortly after, the Dutchman overtook teammate Sergio Perez and then Carlos Sainz\’s Ferrari to take the lead. Verstappen was in a league of his own, being far superior to the rest, and won the race with a 17-second gap over the second, in one of the most dominant races ever seen.
15. Second Title In Dominating Fashion – 2022 Japanese GP
For round 18 of the 2022 Japanese Grand Prix, Verstappen dominated the entire weekend from start to finish. The Dutchman took pole position, and on Sunday, in wet conditions, he held the first position and the lead throughout the race.
Thus, Verstappen took his twelfth victory of the season and his second title in a row in a dominating season for the Dutchman. 2022 did not start well for Red Bull, with some reliability failures, but after the first few races, the Dutchman showed an incredible performance that neither Charles Leclerc nor Ferrari could stand up to.
16. Record For Most Wins In A Season – 2022 Abu Dhabi GP
Verstappen dominated the 2022 season finale in Abu Dhabi, taking pole position and victory. This was his third consecutive victory in Abu Dhabi, and his fifteenth of the season. With 15 wins, Verstappen set a new record for most wins during a Formula 1 season. German champions Michael Schumacher (2004) and Sebastian Vettel (2013) held the old record, with 13 wins in a season.
Thus, the Dutchman achieved 68% of victories, as there were 22 races in 2022. With 72%, Schumacher still holds the record for the highest winning percentage in a season, as there were only 18 races in 2004. Verstappen\’s 2022 season makes it one of the most dominant in history, in which car and driver were perfectly in harmony.
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Conclusion
Max Verstappen has proven to be one of the best drivers, if not the best, of this generation through his remarkable on-track performances. At just 25 years old, the Dutchman is already a double world champion, so he still has time to break all kinds of records. It will be interesting to see his evolution in the category.
