Has Max Verstappen Become the Master of Spin?

 

Has Max Verstappen Become the Master of Spin?

Max Verstappen's interview demeanour has taken on a new, almost theatrical quality. 

He frequently downplays his car's performance with supreme confidence, suggesting it lacks race pace, handles poorly, struggles in braking zones, and makes overtaking impossible. According to Max, his Red Bull doesn't possess the same race pace as McLaren or Ferrari. Yet, consistently, he puts the car in pole position or wins races comfortably. Call me cynical, but I find it hard to fully believe his negative assessments of the car's capabilities in qualifying and race pace.

This master behind the wheel has honed his craft over the past two seasons, evolving into a once-in-a-generation Formula One® talent. Red Bull and Verstappen should be wary. With the kind of pace and cornering prowess that McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes are demonstrating, consistently securing pole positions and race wins despite claiming the car is subpar is a dangerous game.

I, for one, didn't fully buy Max's statements during the Bahrain press conference. The narrative of needing more upgrades and development, the car being weak in a straight line, poor in cornering, and lacking both race and qualifying pace… I'm sorry, Max, but as we head into Friday, I believe you have every chance of winning this race, as you often do. With Max Verstappen on the grid, he always has a high probability of victory.

Even Lando Norris echoed this sentiment in today's Bahrain Grand Prix press conference. He quoted Red Bull's constant claims of lacking race pace, saying, "So they say." Lando Norris is a remarkably consistent driver, aiming for his first World Drivers' Championship after a very successful 2024 season that saw McLaren comfortably clinch the Constructors' World Title. A talent destined to be a fixture in the sport for many years, he knows that if he wants that WDC, Max Verstappen will be his primary obstacle.

And speaking from all of us at Senate Grand Prix, this unfolding season is fascinating because when a race season starts unpredictably, the real winners are the fans watching at home, the race attendees, and the global Formula One® community.

Then there's George Russell at Mercedes, whom we at Senate HQ have affectionately nicknamed the "sleeping giant." He's been consistently chipping away at points in every single race. His driving is consistent, his cornering precise, and his tyre management excellent. He's becoming the new Alain Prost, the "professor" of driving. Please don't write off George Russell; he is undoubtedly in this fight. He matured rapidly in that Mercedes seat, and now, he is blossoming and no longer under the immense shadow of Lewis Hamilton. He's becoming a driver who prioritises tyre preservation, looks after his car, brings it home reliably, and consistently earns points for the team.

With the intense battles we anticipate between Norris and Verstappen at the front, could this be the year a consistent driver, a true "professor" of driving style like Russell, comes through to take the WDC? Could his approach of using his intellect, looking after his machinery, listening to his race team and senior management, and consistently bringing the car home to be the key?

Could this intense wheel-to-wheel fighting be Lando Norris's downfall? 

Could it be Max Verstappen's undoing? Meanwhile, George Russell and even the young Kimi Antonelli can score points, consistently chipping away race after race. With 20 races still to go, countless variables, unexpected twists, and turns are ahead. We'll see DRS battles, accidents, and even disqualifications. Will George Russell this consistent driving style, the philosophy Toto Wolff has instilled in his team, ultimately pay off? Only time will tell, but one thing is for sure: here at Senate Grand Prix, we've noticed George Russell's quiet accumulation of points, and we're calling him the sleeping giant for a reason.