HomeHealthNewsMax Verstappen's ability used to make F1 dull – now it's saving...

Max Verstappen’s ability used to make F1 dull – now it’s saving this season

Most of us spent two-and-a-half years moaning about Max Verstappen’s outrageous ability meaning there was so little competition at the front of the Formula 1 grid. But now we’re reaping the rewards with the Dutchman managing to keep his McLaren rivals honest.

Already 132 points clear ahead of Mercedes heading into tomorrow’s Monaco race, it will take a remarkable collapse for McLaren to lose the teams’ title from here. But though Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have won five of the seven Grands Prix held so far between them, Verstappen is still on their tail.

He’s dragged a less-performant-than-usual Red Bull car to the very front of the grid so many times already this year. And, after his impressive win at Imola last Sunday, he’s just 22 points behind championship leader Piastri and only nine adrift of Norris.

It’s hard to imagine that any other driver on this grid could have managed to get themselves into this position. And it’s great news for all of us watching on, rather than simply having another runaway title win – this time for one of the McLaren drivers, rather than Verstappen.

Sign up to our free weekly F1 newsletter, Pit Lane Chronicle, by entering your email address below so that every new edition lands straight in your inbox!

Now we’ve got not only that dynamic between Piastri and Norris to keep an eye on, but also the extra factor of Verstappen chasing his fifth title in a row. Only Michael Schumacher has ever managed that feat in F1 history.

No matter which way it goes by the end of the season in December, it’s going to be a great story. Let’s just hope it remains tight between the three of them for as long as possible along the way.

Drivers this week watched the new F1 movie starring 61-year-old Brad Pitt, which releases in UK cinemas next month. And the reviews were pretty unanimous with drivers and team bosses alike heaping praise on the film for its authenticity.

But it’s in those people’s best interests to hype up this movie as they’re hoping it will bring even more fans to the sport. I’ll be waiting to see it for myself, as should everyone else, before calling Hollywood’s attempt to do F1 justice a success.

Just three cars finished the 1996 Monaco race, with Frenchman Olivier Panis taking his first and only F1 win from Brits David Coulthard and Johnny Herbert.

Qualifying remains more important at Monaco than anywhere else with 14 of the last 20 races here being won by the pole-sitter. The only driver to fail to win from pole on more than one occasion is Charles Leclerc, but at least he finally broke his duck at his home race last year.

Former F1 racer Juan Pablo Montoya told me that several teams are “not ready to handle” the strategy calls for this weekend’s race with everyone required to make at least two pit stops, as F1 bosses try to spice up what has become a generally dull race in recent years.

Formula 1 fans can watch every practice, qualifying and race live with Sky’s new Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle in a new deal that saves £192.

As well as Sky Sports access, this includes more than 100 TV channels and free subscriptions to Netflix and Discovery+.

Get email updates with the day’s biggest stories

Stay Connected
Must Read
Related News