Why Verstappen won't emulate past F1 champions who let up once the title was over

OPINION: As he did in 2022, Max Verstappen enters this weekend's US Grand Prix as a newly-crowned world champion. But any of his Formula 1 rivals hoping that the Dutchman will enter into cruise-and-collect mode for the remainder of his dominant 2023 campaign are set to be disappointed

Updated Oct 17, 2023, 4:31 PM

The grand prix at Qatar concluded what we'd all known had been a long time coming, as Max Verstappen produced the final stitch to sew up his third Formula 1 championship crown with six (full) races to spare. Although the remaining quintet of grands prix post-Qatar are hardly dead rubbers, as there's championship positions and prize money among the other constructors to settle, driver interest is limited beyond who finishes as runner-up.

Does anyone actually care if Sergio Perez or Lewis Hamilton finishes in second, given their presence in the title race range from mere cameos to non-existence? Maybe Perez and Red Bull do, if only to stat-pad an already impressive season brimming with crowning achievements.

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Author Jake Boxall-Legge

Jake studied engineering at university, as his original ambition was to design racing cars. He was bad at that, and thus decided to write about them instead with an equally limited skillset. The above article is a demonstration of that. In his spare time, Jake enjoys people, places, and things.