By now the names of three times world champion they are wasted, but among them all, perhaps the one that makes us think most is "unbeatable". “Verstappen is unbeatable in any weather condition”; “Verstappen is unbeatable in every situation, whether he is under pressure or not”. In short, the epithet he has earned gives a clear image of who the Dutchman is today. The almost divine narrative of which Max is part has something unique: it was born long before – hopefully – the end of his career. Something that, in the history of the premier class, has happened very rarely and only with the very greats. Lately Frederic Vassuer questioned this aura in an interview of imperturbability and the question arises spontaneously: really, if he has the means, will Max be able to dominate unchallenged without major problems or is there something or someone who could put more than a spanner in his wheels?
Max according to Frederic
In the interview given to Motorsport.com, the number one of cavallino had his say on the three-time world champion Red Bull: "There are no doubts that Verstappen dominated the entire season. The point is that, like all of us, when he is under pressure he makes more mistakes and no one was able to put pressure on him, except for two or three events, like Singapore in as we won with Sainz".
In short, Vasseur suggests that he would like to see the number 1 under pressure more frequently, also indirectly hoping for a reinforcement of his Scuderia. The point is that Vassuer talks about mistakes, when the reality of the facts is that, at least in 2023, Max was impeccable. Verstappen won 19 races and the rare times he had to struggle he still managed. As Fred says, Max struggled a lot in Singapore: excluded in Q2 then in the chase to grab fifth position, but it's not enough to tarnish a season of this caliber. Judging a year without rivals, however, is not the right method to understand whether or not to refute the words of the Ferrari team principal.
A season as an undisputed protagonist practically devoid of bad moments, and a almost non-existent companion when it mattered most in the internal challenge, do not provide a representative framework for our analysis. The absence of a neighbor capable of competing is good when the other teams are far away, but if tomorrow there is someone capable of question Red Bull hegemony, it could be a luxury to pay dearly for. Anyway, to better understand the champion's Achilles heel we need to rewind the time tape.
A jump in the past
The pre-first title Max was certainly not flawless. Just think of the misdeeds of Saudi Arabia and Brazil, or the most important start of the wrong career in Abu Dhabi. With Hamilton's support, the Dutchman's pressure increased and so did his problems. Sure, that was a lifetime ago considering how fast Formula 1 runs, but the evidence of the fact that Verstappen is not perfect when the others are really serious are there.
On the other hand, however, after having removed the weight of his first title, the Dutchman has taken more than a few steps further. The start of the 2022 season was terrible: double DNF in the first three races, and a fearsome Ferrari from many points of view. Right there, Max changed pace, climbing the slope with a frightening coldness, strong in the control of the adults.
Looking at Max's career and the driver he has become, the conclusion that can be drawn is that if there is an enemy, it is himself. The only one capable of putting a spanner in his works - the very rare times it happens - is himself. The anger problem has crippled him more than a few times in the salient moments of his story. In the season ended he had no problems, but if one day there is a worthy opponent capable of putting pressure on him, it cannot be ruled out that the specter could arise again.
Is Vasseur right?
The Dutchman's "deficit" is nothing more than the reflection of a champion now blunted in all its corners. A total perfectionism required first of himself, then of the team. It is not uncommon for the driver to lose his temper towards the track engineer even when something almost insignificant does not go as he had predicted. However, what makes him strong can tire him. So yes, Vasseur is partly right when he says that he can make mistakes when subjected to stress. Max isn't unbeatable, especially when the stakes are high. He is simply stronger and in control than the others, and as long as he has such a good team on his side to support him in everything, there is no doubt that his career will go swimmingly. But tomorrow who knows…
