Max Verstappen’s ‘Realism’ Key to Beating Vettel, Hamilton Records: Former F1 Driver

The moment Max Verstappen entered Formula 1, he displayed signs of becoming a World Champion somewhere down the line. Former Formula 1 driver, Alexander Wurz, opened up on his views as far as the Dutchman is concerned.

Wurz believes that Max is a ‘healthy realist’ and ‘pessimism’ will not affect him mentally. Wurz feels that Max needs a miracle to beat Lewis Hamilton this year.

“A miracle must happen for him to catapult himself back into the fight for the title,” Wurz said to ORF, an Austrian Broadcaster. “But he’s a healthy realist. Pessimism is not a mental problem for him.

“He always gives everything and for me is one of the very best racing drivers we have ever seen.”

Wurz also mentions that Max is still young and could surpass the records set by Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher. “With the team [Red Bull] or with another team, he would, of course, have to hope to have a world champion-capable car that is always up to date- at least up to the level of Lewis Hamilton, Bottas, and Leclerc,” said Wurz.

“Then he can even overtake Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher in the records. He is what it takes.”

Max Verstappen remains the only driver to beat both the Mercedes to win a race in this season, which he did at the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix. Considering his dominating performance, Red Bull convinced Max to stay with the team until the end of 2023.

Max Verstappen ‘can still become the youngest world champion’

Max Verstappen is almost 23 and still has a year in his hand to beat Sebastian Vettel’s record of the youngest world champion.

This year doesn’t seem like his year as he is already 80 points behind the leader. But he could still try to split the Mercedes and finish P2 in drivers’ standings.

“If you imagine that he can still become the youngest world champion, which is Sebastian Vettel so far, then he still has so many years ahead of him, but he has already gained so much experience,” said Wurz.