Formula 1’s rich history has been laced with stunning legacies left by the drivers that have graced the storied rostrum. Arguably, the best drivers have all raced in the sport. However, amongst them have stood giants of motorsport. A few drivers have left such an impact that no one will ever forget the racing genius that possessed them. Michael Schumacher, Ayrton Senna, and Lewis Hamilton are just a few that come naturally to us. But now the tide seems to have been changing and Max Verstappen is at the forefront of it all.

There was never a doubt that Verstappen was a great driver. A proper championship prospect. But just how good he could be was something to behold. From 2021 onwards, the Dutch lion has shown us exactly that. And now, two years later, his dominance is such that many have already written the 2023 season off.

Max Verstappen’s era has begun

Drivers like Schumacher and Hamilton were not one-season wonders. They ruled the streets of Formula 1 on a regular basis and over a sustained period of time. And if you were to ask 1996 F1 champion, Damon Hill, Verstappen is on a similar trajectory. “Max has already started that journey,” said the former Williams man in a feature with Formula 1 Magazine.

He went on to explain, “Max is made to win. He’s so good, really brilliant. Just watching him drive makes me happy. Before that, we had the era of Lewis, before that of Vettel. This year, next year and maybe the years after that, the era is Max.”

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The 2x champion isn’t a stranger to such comparisons. And just the like the one’s before him, he’ll have a story or two to tell about his sojourn with F1.

Max Verstappen reveals grim details of his 2021 championship

In 2021, Max Verstappen won his first-ever F1 title. For anyone, that would be the crowning achievement of their lives. However, behind the scenes, Verstappen wasn’t in the mental headspace to actually enjoy the moment at all.

In 2022, he told Sky Sports F1, “You know, last year, all the way until the last race is probably the worst kind of feeling, going into that last race. But also because at the time, I don’t think we were the quickest anymore, so that also doesn’t help.”

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Can Max Verstappen break that elusive record by winning eight world titles by the team he calls the curtain on his F1 career?