On cloud nine, Max Verstappen is already entering the big leagues

The hero of the Spanish Grand Prix, Max Verstappen, who has just become the youngest ever winner of a Formula 1 Grand Prix at just 18 years, 7 months and 16 days, has yet to realize the magnitude of his achievement!

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Rédigé par Par

Taking advantage, like his fellow drivers, of the first-lap accident between Rosberg and Hamilton, having emerged second after the first lap, the young Dutch driver successfully executed a bold two-stop strategy to climb to the top of the standings.

By passing in the lead for the first time on the 11th lap, but especially on the 28th and then the 44th lap, after Daniel Ricciardo’s third pit stop, the hardest part still remained: resisting Kimi Räikkönen’s late-race attacks to clinch the victory.

His flawless composure led him to the top of the podium! But what a surprise for him once he got out of the car:

« It’s fabulous, I still can’t realize that I led and then won this race! In the final laps, I had to fight off some cramps, I must say I was very excited: I couldn’t believe what was happening to me. »

Naturally, the new Red Bull driver was primarily aiming for a more modest result, as he had everything to learn about his RB12.

« What an enormous surprise! I was mainly aiming for the podium here, so winning exceeds my expectations! I must, of course, sincerely thank my team for providing me with such a great car. »

Beyond benefiting from race circumstances, the world of Formula 1 will primarily remember this ability to manage events, especially at the end of the race, which led a world champion like Kimi Räikkönen to surrender. However, from the inside, it’s certainly not that simple:

I looked at my display board, with my name and the number of laps to go. Then I started looking at my dashboard on the steering wheel. However, I told myself, don’t do that, stay focused on the condition of your tires and bring the car back in one piece.

« The race actually turned into an endurance test, especially in the last 10 laps, he added. « As soon as I went through the pits (for my last stop), I knew it was feasible. So I saved my tires by not pushing hard at the beginning of my last stint. Kimi put a lot of pressure on me: I knew, however, that it was very difficult to overtake on this track. »

Talkative, the new Grand Prix winner even revealed part of his strategy:

I knew that the two Ferraris were a bit faster, so I let them catch up before putting in my real effort and maintaining the gap with them. It worked well until the last eight laps, after which I had to manage the traffic and the last sector: getting good traction out of the corner to handle the next straight line properly.

In the final laps, I even felt like I was driving on ice because I had to manage my sliding so much! In fact, that’s how you can win races here in Barcelona!

Same emotions, same feelings on the side of his new boss. Christian Horner is also in shock: what an incredible outcome! We knew our races this year would be reasonably competitive and that progress would be there… but to see this kind of result, it’s just a dream come true for us!

« We seized the opportunity of the Mercedes absence at the front. We had to cover the Ferraris well today, which were certainly the fastest cars today. But the way Max withstood all that pressure… He didn’t make a single mistake, not only today but throughout the whole weekend… And he’s only eighteen years old? Incredible! »

Finally, the floor is given to the one who has obviously worked so hard for this coup. Jos Verstappen is a happy father!

« I still can’t believe it either. The strategy Max opted for was delicate, I was really wondering if it could work in the end of the race. But of course, I am very happy that it worked.

I am very proud of what he has just accomplished; we have worked hard together for this result. We were able to seize the call from Red Bull.

This Sunday, May 15, will very likely remain one of those that feed the great stories of Formula 1. Promoted just a week ago at Red Bull, Max Verstappen is a unique example of precocity, which we may not see again for a long time. Since then, the FIA has tightened the criteria for obtaining the F1 Super License, notably by imposing a minimum age.

Anyway, can we talk about the greatest achievement in recent Formula 1 history? Answer our survey below and give us your informed opinion as a spectator in the comments section!

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