The latest Red Bull reject poised to save his career

The last time a rookie won the Macau Grand Prix, Richard Verschoor was seven years old. Let that sink in for a moment. Now he's the only Dutch winner - despite Max Verstappen having raced there - and he did it as an underdog, as it was his MP Motorsport team's first visit to the venue.

In 2016, Verschoor looked like the next Verstappen. Or at least the next driver from Holland capable of reaching Formula 1. In his first season in cars, he took the SMP and Spanish F4 titles, the latter with MP, and he was firmly in Red Bull's good books.

However, a turbulent season the following year delivered ninth in the Formula Renault Eurocup with only a solitary podium, third in the Toyota Racing Series and ninth in the Eurocup Northern European Championship. Hardly a year worthy of a Red Bull junior - and Red Bull agreed. He was added to the list of victims of motorsport's most fierce natural selection process, the energy drink giant's youth programme.

Red Bull has no shortage of rejectees, and the shock can either trigger a reaction within a driver and inspire a strong comeback, or mentally destroy them and banish them to motorsport obscurity. And sometimes the loss of budget can end a career there and then.

To be honest, Verschoor was heading for the exit. Not mentally destroyed by his Red Bull rejection, but consigned to the list of drivers with little or no funding who are unable to even tread water once the money vanishes. A familiar story.

Luckily for Verschoor, he had the belief of MP Motorsport team boss Sander Dorsman and team owner Henk de Jong. And while that hadn't delivered much in terms of results on paper - not for lack of effort on either side - MP never stopped believing in Verschoor's ability and Verschoor never stopped being grateful and working his backside off, even when things hadn't gone to plan.

"I still can't believe what we just did," said Verschoor moments after his Macau Grand Prix win.

"This year has been pretty difficult, we haven't fully understood how the car works, we end up leaving the track sometimes just as confused as when we got there" Liam Lawson, MP Motorsport

"For the team it was the first time here, for me the first time here, it's just incredible for us and I hope it gives the team a better [reputation].

"We were really not like how we showed this year, I'm sure that next year will be a lot better.

"I have to thank Sander Dorsman [pictured below left] and Henk de Jong - big, big thanks to them. The team always kept believing in me. To give them this back is incredible for me. I really feel good for the team."

MP has never found Formula 2 or Formula 3 easy, often because it's been up against bigger teams with higher budgets and greater experience. Verschoor is partly to blame for the money issue, he admits: "It's mainly me not having the budget, but that's on my side."

MP finished sixth out of 10 in FIA Formula 3 this season, with current Red Bull junior Liam Lawson (above, middle) just ahead of Verschoor in the standings, 11th and 13th respectively.

Lawson sums up the season best when he says: "This year has been pretty difficult, we haven't fully understood how the car works, we end up leaving the track sometimes just as confused as when we got there."

Since being bailed out by MP for 2018, Verschoor has been rapid but often inconsistent. His main problem has been qualifying - also a team issue, in Verschoor's defence - some of his incredible race comebacks going under the radar because of the eventual finishing position.

A sterling drive in his second race in the GP3 series at Spa in 2018 showed what he could do, taking seventh from 17th (pictured below), while Paul Ricard stands out in 2019, when he rose from 14th to fourth in an incredible display.

Perhaps the pressure was too much at Red Bull, but with less intensity at MP, Verschoor has excelled and been allowed to flourish into a driver capable of winning in Macau - which is no mean feat if you consult the list of winners. Perhaps you can also learn a lot from those who have contested it and not won.

There's no doubt Verschoor is underrated. But the ever-smiling driver - even if there are usually many swearwords used to describe the weekend, good or bad - has a way of endearing himself to those around him.

Lawson is a stereotypical easy-going Kiwi, but you still don't expect drivers to go all out to compliment their team-mates at the risk of losing some sort of psychological edge. But...

"Richard is a seriously good driver," says Lawson. "He's had a difficult time the past couple of years, but I think he showed today there's no lack of talent there. For whatever reason, it didn't work out with Red Bull for him.

"But I think together we've worked really well. We've got the maximum out of a lot of races and had some highlights. It's a shame we couldn't have had a better result at the end of the season, but he's shown this weekend how good he is and I'm just really happy for him."

High praise indeed. It's still hard to believe that Verschoor and the team managed to pull it off.

"I tried to push really hard, but then suddenly I just touched the wall. All race I was on the limit all the time, so I just did a bit too much" Richard Verschoor

So, what changed in Macau? Well, there was a bit of equalisation in the field due to the new F3 car competing there for the first time. Ride height was also a factor, as the teams were forced to raise their cars for the Macau bumps.

But also Macau is a street circuit that rewards brave, committed driving. The kind of driving that has made legends out of those who have excelled here and at other street races around the world.

Verschoor was as committed as they come on the Guia circuit. In fact, too committed at one point. A strong qualifying and third in the qualification race - overtaking five-time Macau starter and Ferrari junior Callum Ilott - led to a prime position at the start.

Top Prema driver Robert Shwartzman was sent sailing into the Lisboa run-off after being clipped by Christian Lundgaard's ART Grand Prix-run car at the start, and that allowed Verschoor up to second.

He made the most of a safety car to pounce on long-term leader and current Red Bull junior Juri Vips, who had dominated in qualifying and the qualification race. But with the Red Bull driver suffering from a malfunctioning DRS and then destroyed tyres after a misjudged move at Lisboa, Verschoor appeared in the clear.

Then he clouted the barrier just after the Teddy Yip corner and jeopardised it all. But sometimes in Macau, pushing that bit harder and being willing to take that one, final, Hollywood-movie-style risk pays off.

Lord knows, Verschoor has done enough to earn a bit of good fortune, and that's always a big ingredient in the Macau Grand Prix stew. The fact that Dan Ticktum, Jake Hughes and Prema's Ferrari junior Marcus Armstrong were taken out by a qualification-race shunt is another sign of how fortune can intervene, as three favourites to win were wiped out on the spot.

There's nothing like smashing into a wall to show you how important luck is.

"I tried to push really hard, but then suddenly I just touched the wall," adds Verschoor. "All race I was on the limit all the time, so I just did a bit too much.

"Suddenly I turned to the right and I had to steer 90 degrees so I knew there was something wrong. That for sure didn't make me quicker. [Turn 10] flat left. I really thought I wouldn't be able to keep up with [Vips], but I adapted quickly and we made it.

"To be the first Dutch winner is of course really nice and historic. I still can't believe what we just did."

After winning Macau, Lynn and da Costa found stable, paid homes in Formula E while Juncadella has impressed in DTM. So what's to say Verschoor can't spin his win into something special?

It means the Netherlands has taken the F2 title with Nyck de Vries and now the F3 World Cup title with Verschoor.

And those who are critical of Red Bull's process of driver selection will be pleased to know that five of the previous six winners at Macau are rejected Red Bull juniors: Dan Ticktum (x2), Antonio Felix da Costa (x2), Alex Lynn and Daniel Juncadella.

So, what next for Verschoor? He's said he is hopeful the result opens doors. The problem is, even if he's given a magical sponsor or gets an Alex Albon-style 'rejection before being re-signed to Red Bull' type deal, there's no top seats left in F2, if you believe the rumours.

One thing winning Macau can do is raise a driver's profile, and he has promised to work all-out to seek the budget to get a racing programme together for next year. And his performances deserve at least a strong GT seat.

After winning Macau, Lynn and da Costa (pictured above in 2013) found stable, paid homes in Formula E, while Juncadella has impressed in the DTM. So what's to say that Verschoor can't spin his win into something special?

"I feel like for the first time in a long time I did everything I could to win a race and do a good performance. I'm just grateful for that, I think it's the right moment [to step up]," Verschoor adds.

"I feel ready for anything at the moment, but the budget probably won't be there to do [F2]. But I'll be open to do it. I'm quick enough, strong enough.

"Next week, I'll party with my friends! But seriously, I'll be back in training and this is the opportunity for me to get the partners, get the sponsors to show that I can do it. Hopefully next year I'll have a seat."

The boy at least deserves a test. At the track where the driver can make the most difference in probably all of junior single-seaters, and after beating Vips, a driver seemingly destined for F1 and at the head of the Red Bull queue, Verschoor merits that.

After all, he was thrown in at the deep end in Macau and look how that went.