2019 Review – Max Verstappen: Last Season Without a Title?
The end of the year is approaching, and it's time to analyze the drivers' performances in 2019. Motors Inside offers you a look back at Max Verstappen's season, as he was one of the only drivers to challenge Mercedes.
After a rather frustrating 2018 campaign where driving errors in the first part of the season and reliability issues had deprived him of a third place in the drivers’ championship, the Dutchman was eager for the transition from the Renault engine to Honda, especially after the encouraging results Toro Rosso had achieved with the Japanese engine.
From the first race of the season, Max Verstappen does Honda proud by securing a podium in Australia, ahead of the two Ferraris. The Dutchman clinched his first victory in Austria thanks to an incredible comeback from the middle of the pack to overtake Charles Leclerc in the final laps of the race.
His second victory came in Germany where, despite rainy conditions, he managed to stay consistent and make no mistakes, allowing him to prevail over competition that struggled to handle the rain. Finally, a victory in Brazil capped off a very successful fifth season in the premier category of motorsport.
In total, the season of the youngest winner in Formula 1 includes nine podiums, three victories, and a third place in the drivers’ championship. It is without a doubt the best season of the Dutchman’s career, apart from a slump between Belgium and Italy and in Mexico, which cost him a few points.
Max Verstappen has made significant progress this year, and if he and Red Bull continue on their trajectory in 2020, everything suggests that a title fight with Hamilton and Mercedes is possible.
