Opinion: Max Verstappen's era of dominance coming to an end

The South African

4 days ago

It's becoming increasingly clear that Red Bull Racing star driver Max Verstappen won't be winning his fifth championship.
During the ground effect era, the 27-year-old Dutch driver has dominated Formula One for the past three years. Verstappen began his F1 career at the age of 17 with Toro Rosso, which is a sister team to Red Bull. Even from a young age, he displayed immense talent, and his raw speed caught the attention of many.
In 2016, he was promoted to Red Bull Racing and won his first race after Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg were involved in a collision. By winning the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix, Max Verstappen became the youngest driver (at 18) to win a race.
During Mercedes' dominance, Verstappen won a total of 10 races, which was impressive considering that Red Bull was either the second or third fastest team at the time.
In the 2021 season, Red Bull Racing mounted a significant challenge to Mercedes. The Mercedes W12 was somewhat slower than its predecessor, allowing Red Bull to be competitive. The championship kept changing hands, with both Lewis Hamilton and Verstappen racing each other hard, leading to multiple collisions throughout the season. Towards the end of the season, Verstappen appeared to have a healthy lead after winning the US and Mexico races, but a late surge from Hamilton meant that both drivers entered the final race equal on points.
Lewis Hamilton passed Max Verstappen on the first lap and controlled the race from there. However, a late Safety Car introduced a twist when race director Michael Masi incorrectly applied the rules. With the race set to end under the Safety Car, Masi was influenced by the Red Bull garage to allow for one more lap of racing.
He permitted four lapped cars between Hamilton and Verstappen to unlap themselves before restarting the race. Verstappen, on soft tires, managed to pass Hamilton, securing his first title.
After winning his first title, Verstappen went on to dominate the 2022 season, winning 15 of the 22 races. Entering his peak, the Dutch driver was in sync with the Red Bull machine, often winning races that seemed impossible to clinch. In 2023, the Red Bull RB19 won 21 out of 22 races, with Max Verstappen winning 19 of them.
The Dutchman had the most dominating season in the history of the sport, making little to no mistakes on his way to being crowned a three-time world champion. It seemed that 2024 would follow a similar path of dominance, but the departure of aerodynamicist Adrian Newey caused a drop in performance after eight races.
Nonetheless, Verstappen managed to hold off McLaren's Lando Norris to earn his fourth consecutive title. With the ground effect era coming to an end in 2025, many consider this Verstappen's final chance to secure his fifth title.
New regulations are set to come in 2026, along with Ford supplying engines for Red Bull, making it less likely that Max Verstappen will enjoy another period of dominance. The 2025 season has seen nine races so far, with McLaren winning seven of them. The Papaya team has by far the most dominant car this season, with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri vying for the title. Verstappen appeared to be in the mix, but after his poor performance at the Spanish Grand Prix, his chances of winning the fifth title seem almost over.
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