The Max Verstappen Thread

[PTRACER]

Bottom post of the previous page:

Regarding Max - he is the greates, says 94 years old BE.

Speaking to Daily Mail after the Japanese GP, Ecclestone said: “If I were a team owner, I think I’d get hold of the Australian kid [Piastri]. He’s very good. But Max is the best I have ever seen.
“Max is the best driver ever,” repeated the 94-year-old. “No doubts. I used to say Alain Prost. Now I would say Max. He’s the greatest. He is the brightest with regard to getting the best out of the car. He doesn’t muck around. He gets right on the programme. In my list, he is above Lewis Hamilton.

GP247

Like him or not, this man has been part fo the F1 very long time and some of his views are worth of considderations. In contrast to his assertion, while I am not disputing his claim, I shy away from such comparisons. In an objective analysis conditions are dynamic, continuously evolving, and interjection of personal bias is unavoidable. Comparing Prost to Verstappen is not what I recommend beyond small talk with a friend while sipping a cup of coffee. What is undisputable is the fact, that both men excelled / excelling in their craft. That's the only common denominator I can recommend for acceptance without doubts.

What about comparing Max to Lewis? You can do that pretty easily, surely.

[Aty]

Regarding Max - he is the greates, says 94 years old BE.

Speaking to Daily Mail after the Japanese GP, Ecclestone said: “If I were a team owner, I think I’d get hold of the Australian kid [Piastri]. He’s very good. But Max is the best I have ever seen.
“Max is the best driver ever,” repeated the 94-year-old. “No doubts. I used to say Alain Prost. Now I would say Max. He’s the greatest. He is the brightest with regard to getting the best out of the car. He doesn’t muck around. He gets right on the programme. In my list, he is above Lewis Hamilton.

GP247

Like him or not, this man has been part fo the F1 very long time and some of his views are worth of considderations. In contrast to his assertion, while I am not disputing his claim, I shy away from such comparisons. In an objective analysis conditions are dynamic, continuously evolving, and interjection of personal bias is unavoidable. Comparing Prost to Verstappen is not what I recommend beyond small talk with a friend while sipping a cup of coffee. What is undisputable is the fact, that both men excelled / excelling in their craft. That's the only common denominator I can recommend for acceptance without doubts.

What about comparing Max to Lewis? You can do that pretty easily, surely.

I don't do (often) driver comparisons, at least publicly, with any measure of convictions with aim to promote one, and devalue others. Senna vs Prost, Mika vs Michael, etc. I don't derive pleasure of it, yet such opinions will invariably get someone angry. I do go by what I like on and off the track, whether it is fair or not. Privately, yeah, I am pleased and happy, when a decent guy wins.

I am uncertain why you asked me about Hamilton, but I suspect you know what I will say. IMO he is an above average (good, excellent?) racing driver. I have no doubts about that, but I am abstaining from handing him Nobel price for his WDC titles.

I doubt it is actually posible to compare drivers without bias. How many drivers were in similar position he was in recent years? The manner LH was permitted to collect titles puts me off for good. FiA could (and should have) intervened already by mid 2014 since developping trend was in plain sight, but they let that farce continue. History books should take a dim view on that period of GP racing. Other drivers had to work little more to collect their money and fame. That includes most with WDC title to their name. These days I make effort to avoid LH. I don't follow his race-data, watch videos or read anything about him. That's about all.

[Michael Ferner]

Regarding Max - he is the greates, says 94 years old BE.

Speaking to Daily Mail after the Japanese GP, Ecclestone said: “If I were a team owner, I think I’d get hold of the Australian kid [Piastri]. He’s very good. But Max is the best I have ever seen.
“Max is the best driver ever,” repeated the 94-year-old. “No doubts. I used to say Alain Prost. Now I would say Max. He’s the greatest. He is the brightest with regard to getting the best out of the car. He doesn’t muck around. He gets right on the programme. In my list, he is above Lewis Hamilton.

GP247

Like him or not, this man has been part fo the F1 very long time and some of his views are worth of considderations. In contrast to his assertion, while I am not disputing his claim, I shy away from such comparisons. In an objective analysis conditions are dynamic, continuously evolving, and interjection of personal bias is unavoidable. Comparing Prost to Verstappen is not what I recommend beyond small talk with a friend while sipping a cup of coffee. What is undisputable is the fact, that both men excelled / excelling in their craft. That's the only common denominator I can recommend for acceptance without doubts.

What about comparing Max to Lewis? You can do that pretty easily, surely.

@LH44-FOREVA!! - "HERESY!!! LEWIS IS INCOMPARABLE!!!"

[Everso Biggyballies]

@LH44-FOREVA!! - "HERESY!!! LEWIS IS INCOMPARABLE!!!"

@Michael Ferner is attending surgery tomorrow to have his suddenly extended nose reduced, and warts on his tongue removed.

Get well soon Michael. Wishing you a full and speedy recovery.

[Aty]

@LH44-FOREVA!! - "HERESY!!! LEWIS IS INCOMPARABLE!!!"

@Michael Ferner is attending surgery tomorrow to have his suddenly extended nose reduced, and warts on his tongue removed.

Get well soon Michael. Wishing you a full and speedy recovery.

...and I thought sarcasm doesn't wear well on the internet. You might have changed my mind with this. In my perception Michael seems a good natured guy, but with his remark he stuck his finger into something fragnant. Upper powers will forgive him.

[Michael Ferner]

@LH44-FOREVA!! - "HERESY!!! LEWIS IS INCOMPARABLE!!!"

@Michael Ferner is attending surgery tomorrow to have his suddenly extended nose reduced, and warts on his tongue removed.

Get well soon Michael. Wishing you a full and speedy recovery.

Thwanks for thwe wiwshes! My nwose is fwine, but the trweatment on thwe twongue hasw lefwt a (tempworary, I hwope) spweech impediment...

[PTRACER]

@LH44-FOREVA!! - "HERESY!!! LEWIS IS INCOMPARABLE!!!"

@Michael Ferner is attending surgery tomorrow to have his suddenly extended nose reduced, and warts on his tongue removed.

Get well soon Michael. Wishing you a full and speedy recovery.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Million Dollar Super-license for Max

With Super Licence fees calculated based on the number of points scored in a championship season, plus a flat fee, Max's success has come with a hit to his wallet. Well it was a big hit this last year already...... he forked out €963,800 to race in 2023.

However that sum will jump to – at last count – an estimated €1,188,556 based on the 524 points he has already scored. Should he win both of the next races and get fastest lap, another 52 points that will add near enough another €110,000 to the cost.

For 2023, a flat fee of €10,400 was payable, plus €2100 per world championship point, payable to the FIA.

However in the words of the best home shopping TV Ads..... Wait.... theres more!

For 2024 the flat fee and the cost per point will increase in line with US inflation. They have not confirmed the drivers S/L fee increase, but the team entry has already been confirmed to be increased by 7% for 2024, so expect the drivers bit to increase by similar.

The base fee for the drivers S/L is therefore expected to be €11,128, with an additional €2247 payable per point.

So next year Max's license will hypothetically hit close to the €1.3 million mark!


To put that into perspective next year Logan Sargeant, with the inflation figure linked in and based on his one point scored his SL will likely set him back a relatively paltry €13,375.00.

[Aty]

Max Verstappen pockets $70 million for F1 2023 masterclass

[Aty]

D/T 2023-12-10 13:55 (CET)

Gerhard Berger declared Max Verstappen's mastery equal to Senna, or maybe even better then Ayrton. Gerhard's praise is not easily given, neither is easily withdrawn. He knows both men on a professional level and is qualified to engage knowledgeably in such discussions, lifting himself above fanboy level.

I am unble to say anything sensible on this subject, despite attending a race when Senna fought with Alain and Michael, but it was then, and it is now. Different conditions, equipment, tracks, specs etc. I am suspicious of comparisons of this kind. Undoubtedly Max has extremely good year behind him, which might not be replicated again. I would however agree that he is the very best driver currently on the grid.

[Aty]

Max ponders his future with the F1. (Y 2028 and beyond.)

https://racingnews365.com/how-an-emotio ... -f1-bosses

Max is not impressed with changes FiA and Liberty are introducing (in American style). Too many races, Sprint, etc. "Me too."

[erwin greven]

[erwin greven]

Max Verstappen in a Ferrari 296 GT3, his team launched in 2025

The F1 season is over and the drivers are enjoying themselves. After Fernando Alonso in an Aston Martin Vantage DTM few days ago, Max Verstappen drove a Ferrari 296 GT3 before launching his GT3 team in 2025.


Max Verstappen has never hidden his desire to create his own GT3 team. Prior to this launch, scheduled for 2025, the Red Bull F1 driver tested the Ferrari 296 GT3 of Emil Frey Racing. His father Jos was also there.

Verstappen.com is already supporting a Ferrari from the Swiss team in GTWC Europe and DTM with Thierry Vermeulen at the wheel, son of Max Verstappen's manager. “It is extra work, but it’s something that gives me energy”, told Verstappen. "Right now, it’s early phases. Using Verstappen.com Racing, we sponsor and support the racing activities of various people close to me via consultations and advice. It all started with the sim racing of Team Redline. Many people still think that sim racing is not professional, but it’s a serious sport, and I invest a lot of hours into it, to prepare and defeat everybody else. We’re also busy right now at Verstappen.com Racing with Thierry Vermeulen in DTM and GTWC Sprint, and with my father in the rally races, but the goal is to eventually start our own race team. We’ll begin in the GT3-class, and see which way the wind blows.”

“If I do something, I want to do it right. I always want to win: at this as well", told Verstappen to Formula 1 Magazine. "The focus is on making the step from sim racing to GT3, so that not only you can enter racing via karting, because that’s ridiculously expensive at the moment. Sim racing, in comparison, is a lot cheaper. Such a switch is possible. It’s happened before, of course, but never really well, for a number of reasons. If you do everything professionally, I believe you can build a great racing career out of sim racing.”

However, there are no plans for the Redline team to be renamed Team Verstappen.com Racing. “No, not that, but in the end those two are related", he said. "It’s also true not everyone in the sim team can step into a real racecar, but the boys that I do see potential in, I want to help by setting up my own GT3-team. I think GT3 is a beautiful class, where you can drive in great endurance-races. A junior class for the Formula cars doesn’t appeal to me. Formula 3, Formula 2… you have too little time in the car and it costs too much money. In the GT3 class you drive in more races, but it also has a different atmosphere. It’s more relaxed.”

Of course, Max Verstappen has an eye on the Le Mans 24 Hours, as he has said on numerous occasions. There was even a recent exchange with Fernando Alonso, a two-time winner, in which the two could see themselves sharing the same car. But that doesn't mean Max Verstappen won't be in one of his team's cars... “That would be cool, no? Who knows," he smiles.

“We’re very busy with that at the moment. The next step is our own GT3-team. 2024 is too tight, but I want to get it off the ground as soon as possible. A GT3-team in 2025 should be doable. With two cars. We’re in full swing. The planning stage is over, we’re already making moves and taking action.”

https://en.endurance-info.com/auto/arti ... nched-2025

[Star]

Max can do many things, but apparently not everything he'd like to do. He wanted to rent a fast car and the computer said no! Well it made me chuckle when I read it anyway.

Car Rental Firm Denies Max Verstappen a Mercedes-AMG GT Because The Car Is Too Fast

Max Verstappen was not allowed to drive a Mercedes-AMG GT in Portugal during his holiday. The staff of the car rental firm explained he was too young to drive a car that can do 195 mph.

Three-time F1 World Champion Max Verstappen is the man who constantly hits 220 mph (354 kph) during races. But outside the track, rules are different. During his holiday in Portugal, the 26-year old wanted to rent a Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe to drive on public roads and track. But he was denied the car because he was "too young" to drive the model, which is able to hit a top speed of 195.7 mph (315 kph).

Max wanted to rent the car from rental firm Sixt on his holiday. But, in order to be able to leave with the AMG four-door coupe with a valid insurance policy, he needed to be 30 years old or older.

Ironically, it was a car from the manufacturer that his team, Red Bull Racing, has been battling in the Formula One championship for the past decade. Instead, he had to settle for a less powerful model, a BMW 5 Series sedan, which could go as fast as 155.3 mph (250 kph).

A Sixt spokesperson said that "In order to find a customer-friendly solution on site, Mr. Verstappen was provided with another premium vehicle." It was his manager, Raymond Vermeulen, who ended up driving the Mercedes-AMG GT after all.

The same spokesperson explains that there can be circumstances when a deviation from the rules can be accepted and this was such a case. The firm apologized to Max Verstappen and said that, from now on, he can rent any car he wants from them, adding that they have no doubt about his driving skills and experience with powerful cars.

Verstappen had flown to Algarve in Portugal together with his family and friends on three private jets on Monday. They rented around 20 cars from Sixt at the Faro International Airport, with the AMG GT being one of the 20, as reported by The Sun.

But when they arrived at the airport, and the rental firm staff checked everyone's IDs, 26-year old pro driver was shocked to find out that he was denied the high-performance sedan. The party had also rented the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve racing circuit for a two-day adventure at the track.

Max Verstappen joined Formula 1 in 2015 and raced for the first time when he was 17 years and 165 days. The next season, driving for Red Bull Racing, the Dutch won his first Grand Prix at the age of 18 in Spain, becoming the youngest-ever driver to win a race in the competition. He won 53 more races from that moment on and went up on the podium 98 times.

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/car- ... 26603.html

[Aty]

Verstappen sponsor reveals reason behind SPLIT from world champion

https://www.gptoday.com/full_story/view ... _champion/

Supermarket is distancing themselves from wasting money on sporting activities.

“That means we no longer put tens of millions into sports sponsorship, but use it to lower prices. That is the essence of Jumbo as it was meant to be.”

Most welcoming words in early stages this year. Fantastic!

[erwin greven]

Verstappen sponsor reveals reason behind SPLIT from world champion

https://www.gptoday.com/full_story/view ... _champion/

Supermarket is distancing themselves from wasting money on sporting activities.

“That means we no longer put tens of millions into sports sponsorship, but use it to lower prices. That is the essence of Jumbo as it was meant to be.”

Most welcoming words in early stages this year. Fantastic!

And IF they did, OK. But they don't. They won't lower the prices. Don't get fooled by their "reasons".