The racing world has turned all eyes on Max Verstappen. Winning the Formula One title for the first time in 2021 and holding on to it in 2022 catapulted him into the ranks of the finest drivers at the moment racing. Time will inform if he has what it takes to enter the realm of the all-time greats.
Driving in motorsport’s elite open-wheel championship is the final check for a driver. Many younger drivers could appear to be potential stars once they’re in their late teenagers or very early 20s, solely to have the weight of expectation or strain show to be an excessive amount of. This is the case with Nicholas Latifi, for instance, who appeared like he was on observe to being a champion earlier than his profession stalled out after only some years.
That wasn’t the case for Verstappen, although. 2015 was his first yr racing on the Formula One circuit, and that yr, Verstappen was named each the FIA Rookie of the Year and Autosport’s Rookie of the Year.
Since 2016, he has been driving for Red Bull, and the partnership has been helpful for each – Red Bull has been in a position to provide the finest automobiles and engineers, and Verstappen has repaid them in wins and media consideration.
Verstappen’s 2021 championship win was barely tarnished by the circumstances in which he gained the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The drama of this remaining Grand Prix was irritating for followers and drivers extra in the actuality of racing. By profitable the 2022 title so cleanly, Verstappen confirmed that he’s really gifted.
In the up-and-coming younger technology of racers, is there anyone who seems to be up to the activity of stopping Verstappen? Below are some potential future champions.
Lando Norris
At solely 23, Lando Norris is one in every of the youngest drivers inflicting a stir on the observe. In truth, he’s been turning heads at the observe since he was simply seven years outdated when he first found aggressive karting. Norris drives for McLaren-Mercedes and has performed since he entered Formula One in 2017 as a junior driver.
In 2019, Norris made his official Formula One debut at the Australian Grand Prix. The strain of the occasion proved to be the excellent gasoline for the younger driver, and he got here in eighth in his first race. His profession since then has been one that implies that he’s a younger driver discovering his ft and making a reputation for himself. The 2023 season began badly, however he was in a position to pull himself out of his funk and got here second in the British Grand Prix.
This win exhibits that Norris has the means to grasp the psychological facet of the sport – a key ingredient that pundits typically overlook. His participation in endurance racing has additionally proven that he has the sort of drive and dedication that’s important in a future champion.
Charles Leclerc
Like lots of the world’s nice racers, Charles Leclerc is the son of a driver. He drives for Scuderia Ferrari, and in the brief interval since his Formula One debut, Leclerc has solidified his place as one in every of the best younger drivers. In 2022, he ended up ending second in the championship.
Leclerc and Verstappen have already confronted each other many instances. They have steadily vied with one another for place and even had crashes. One of the causes that Leclerc has the potential to stop Verstappen’s domination of the sport is that he’s extremely level-headed and affected person. His means to work for his workforce’s profit – even when it means letting a teammate win as a substitute – means that he has a extra strategic method than Verstappen.
Logan Sargeant
Kids in America who need to develop up to be racecar drivers sometimes find yourself in NASCAR. Logan Sargeant is one in every of the few who selected to pursue a extra thrilling profession in Formula One racing. Between 2016 and 2022, the 22-year-old labored his approach up from Formula 4 to Formula One. He joined the Williams Driver Academy in 2021, and in 2023, it was introduced that he can be becoming a member of the Williams-Mercedes workforce.
The 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix was Sargeant’s first Formula One race, so it might be too early to predict how his profession will form up. Early indications, nonetheless, present that he’s a driver with the starvation and uncooked expertise that’s wanted to tackle a champion like Verstappen.
