Veľmi dobre napísaný príbeh (nenazval by som to životopis, už len vzhľadom na vek Maxa). Pútavý pohľad na jeho detstvo, formovanie, jeho cestu do F1 a napokon do Red Bullu na jeho mentalitu a zaujímavé sú najmä tie súvislosti, ktoré autor odkrýva a na ktoré upozorňuje. Not that Verstappen or Red Bull are taking anything for granted as Verstappen noted here with undertones of ominous intent. “What you have learned throughout the whole year, last year, gives you a much better understanding of the car,” he said. “That naturally makes it better but that doesn’t mean that we are satisfied. We’re never satisfied, you always want to do better.” Sports journalist James Gray seeks to understand the outspoken nature and aggressive driving style that make Verstappen a must-watch before, during and after races, and why his Dutch fans, who turn up to cheer him on in their orange-clad droves, are quite so fanatical.

A definitive and intriguing biography of Max Verstappen, Formula 1's superstar, Lewis Hamilton's great rival and the winner of the 2021 and 2022 World Drivers' Championships.Team principal Toto Wolff said: "It just didn't come together. Expectations were higher. I'm fed up with having explanations why. Verstappen said his car was much better in qualifying after some changes and he will start his final race of the most dominant season in history from the front of the grid. This sixth constructors’ championship is beyond our wildest dreams, coming into the season I don’t think we could have dreamed of having a season like this,” he said. Red Bull had struggled all weekend with Verstappen’s car to find the right balance and set-up in practice at Yas Marina. Indeed, after practice three they were seven-tenths off the pace. I cannot always be super-polite and nice; that’s not how I work,” he explains. “You need to be hard on each other especially in tougher times or when you are not happy with certain things. It works both ways. They tell me, I tell them. You should be able to be criticised and take criticism.”

Few drivers have ever shaken up Formula 1 in quite the same way as Max Verstappen. Already the youngest competitor in F1 history, his debut race for Red Bull at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix saw him become the youngest driver ever to win a race, achieve a podium finish or even lead a lap. McLaren team principal Andrea Stella said that without the error, Norris would have been "close to pole position but very likely not pole position". F1 knew this was a risk when it instigated the format, and doubly so when scheduling them at the business end of the season, decisions they might think long and hard about over the winter. He looked drained and exasperated as he spoke and understandably so. He might have said the same thing about it at the very first race of the season. Verstappen has been the vanguard of their charge and, had Pérez been closer to his teammate on more occasions, they might have closed it out even sooner. “Max is absolutely at the top of the game, he is the best driver in F1 at this point in time,” Horner said. “He has this inner hunger and determination and huge ability but he channels it and he does not get distracted by some of the trappings of F1, he is an out and out racer.”

Christmas Gifts

As the start-finish straight thronged with fans, flags and smoke from red flares, still one of the most stirring sights in motor sport, an echoing chorus of “Carlos, Carlos, Carlos,” boomed between the grandstands. Verstappen might have a remarkable record but they were determined to take all the pleasure they could from Ferrari’s man who had fought so hard. Behind Norris, Yuki Tsunoda was an impressive sixth in the heavily upgraded Alpha Tauri - the team raising eyebrows up and down the pit lane as to the extent of the number of new parts they have been able to bring this season.

I have been struggling to get it together this weekend. Before qualifying, I had not done a lap without a mistake. I did better in qualifying." Struggles for Hamilton and Norris I thought we could fight for pole and we just didn't make the jump every other team seemed to make," Russell said. Russell, meanwhile, said he had expected to fight at the front after being fastest in final practice. Last season the 25-year-old Dutchman romped to the title with four races remaining. He won 15 of the 22 meetings and was largely untouchable. Even if Charles Leclerc and Ferrari’s challenge had not petered out, it is doubtful Verstappen could have been denied. Max Verstappen pictured during the second practice session at the Austrian grand prix on Friday. Photograph: Christian Bruna/EPAIt’s unbelievable. Last year was a very strong year for us but to have kept that momentum rolling with the challenges we have had is testimony to all the men and women of the team that have worked tirelessly to have produced a car as competitive as we have had and that Max has made such good use of.” Few drivers have ever shaken up Formula 1 in quite the same way as Max Verstappen. Already the youngest competitor in F1 history, having made his breakthrough in 2015 aged just 17, his debut race for Red Bull at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix saw him become the youngest driver ever to win a race, achieve a podium finish or even lead a lap.