Driving past Casino Square having finished ninth in the Monaco Grand Prix, a disappointed Max Verstappen was under no illusions on what the next stage of his season would present.
Ravaged by arguments with the media off the track and mistakes on it, the 21-year-old had just 35 points to his name in the drivers standings – less than half the amount of teammate Daniel Ricciardo and only three more than Fernando Alonso – and low on confidence and optimism.
The Dutchman also crashed with Lewis Hamilton in Bahrain and Sebastian Vettel in China, and suffered an embarrassing collision with Ricciardo in Baku.
But, talented athletes always find a way, and Verstappen turned a corner after Monaco. He has been in stunning form since, with two wins in Austria and Mexico and 11 podiums in total.
His displays in the second half of the season, in particular, have proven why he is considered the most exciting driver on the grid and the man who could potentially challenge Hamilton and Vettel in 2019.
In fact, only Hamilton scored more points than him after the turn of the summer break – a fine achievement considering Red Bull are the third-fastest car on the grid.
Verstappen promises there is much more to come.
“The start of the season wasn’t easy but we managed to turn it around in a positive way. Two victories and a few podiums. I definitely can’t complain with that,” says Verstappen speaking at the Red Bull Racing garage at Yas Marina Circuit on Sunday.
“I was positively surprised with the car so that’s always good. The car seems to be working really well again, better than expected just like we experienced in Brazil.
“You can improve as a driver, nothing is perfect, so I’ll try to become a better driver (for next year).”
At just 21, Verstappen is mature beyond his years and his aggression, confidence and superb race craft shows he has all the right tools to be a superstar in the sport.
Last October, any hopes of Mercedes or Ferrari signing this exhilarating talent were dashed when he penned a three-year deal until 2020, worth a reported $10 million a season.
Never afraid to speak his mind, Verstappen has clocked up some interesting rants since his debut for Toro Rosso back in 2015 aged just 17.
From his x-rated rants in Hungary and Italy to threatening to headbutt a journalist in Canada and forcibly shoving Esteban Ocon for costing him victory in Brazil, a sometimes ruthless Verstappen is not afraid to hide his emotions and vocalise what he thinks.
“I think that’s how I am, even at Toro Rosso. They maybe don’t broadcast it as much because you’re not fighting for podiums and victories. I’ve always been like that in my life,” he said.
“From my side, there was no reason to change that even if the team doesn’t like that. I think it’s brought me to where I am now.
“But we can’t say anything we’d like because it’s written down in 40 different ways and you have to be careful. Everyone has an opinion on social media, so sometimes we don’t want to say everything we think in case someone is annoyed. It doesn’t control my life.”
While Verstappen is someone who isn’t afraid to voice his emotions, he’s also equally adept at blocking out the noise of his potential achievements in the sport.
“I don’t listen to (the hype) so much. It’s great people are so positive. What’s so important is that I always have to work on myself and the team, and they are the people that know you and could make a difference in achieving that goal,” he said.
Personal glory is of course the name of the game from a driver’s point of view, and there is no doubt the Limburg man will scale new heights as the years progress.
Red Bull may not be genuine championship contenders right now, but in Verstappen, they possess one of the most popular and talented drivers on the grid.
Third in the constructors’ championship, Verstappen can only be as good as his car, and if he wants to follow in Vettel’s footsteps and lift a first title for Red Bull since the German last won in 2013, they need to match his ability over the off-season.
The four wins Red Bull have claimed this year show their potential, but nine retirements in total has led to an engine switch with Honda replacing Renault next season, a move which should propel them back into the title picture.
“In F1 it all depends on the package you have. Hopefully we have it next year. As a team we want to go back to the winning ways and win championships. With Honda coming in, they have that target and hopefully we can achieve it soon,” he said.
“Even if we have a winning package, for sure there will be weekends where maybe you make a mistake, or it can be a better weekend overall. Hopefully first we’ll have that package.
“We haven’t built the new car yet and we haven’t driven the Honda engine. It’s positive but at first we have to build a good car. Up until testing in Barcelona, it’s guessing and that’s for everyone.”
F1 takes a back seat for now before roaring back into life in Melbourne next March. As it stands, 2019 will be the third time the calendar has been its longest, with a total of 21 races.
The sport’s owners Liberty Media, in fact, want to expand further and there has even been plans for a race at Zandvoort in Holland in the future, on top of the recent announcement of a race in Vietnam in 2020.
However, Verstappen expressed concerns over the expansion of the F1 calendar and does not find the prospect of a longer season attractive.
“I think 21 is enough. It’s not for the drivers but for mechanics too. They are travelling even more for us. If you start going to 24 and 25, then you may have as well file for a divorce straight away because they are not home as much,” he said.
“It’s seems like they are not looking into that. We’ll find out. But they need to speak up and say it’s too much, or reduce something.”
