Max Verstappen has won both races in 2024
Max Verstappen isn’t a fan of the glitz and glamour that come with being a modern-day Formula 1 driver, a stance which often sees him accused of being grumpy
Formula 1 legend Alain Prost has backed Red Bull star Max Verstappen in his old-school approach to the sport.
Three-time world champion Verstappen is renowned for his laser-focussed approach to racing, often shunning the glitz and glamour now surrounding F1, as shown by his headline-grabbing comments ahead of the Las Vegas Grand Prix and his opinion on Sprint races. While the Dutch driver has converged to more modern elements of the sport during his meteoric rise, he’s still a throwback to the likes of Prost, whose methodical approach earned him the nickname ‘The Professor’.
Prost, who won four World Drivers’ Championship titles during his prestigious career, has great respect for Verstappen and told Motorsport Magazine: “I like him very much because he’s a little bit different in the way he thinks and speaks. Even in Las Vegas he was focused on racing and winning.
“People can like him or not, but at least you must recognise you are not obliged to have the same approach. For me it’s good to see a driver like him. I was very pleased to listen to what he also said about not liking the sprint races. At least he says what he thinks and is not afraid of the political game. I like that.”
The ex-Ferrari star, 68, also reckons that Verstappen has the capacity to dominate the grid for years to come, with Red Bull targeting another successful season once the 2024 campaign gets going in Barhain on Sunday, March 2. “I think that what makes Max Verstappen so great and so strong is his ability to be a great driver that he has been able to develop in order never to stumble and always to want more,” Prost wrote in his L’Equipe column after the 26-year-old won his third straight title.
“There is no doubt that he has succeeded in becoming a great driver. But what, in my opinion, makes him even stronger is the way in which he has learned to be one with his car and his team.
“He’s a great whole who strives for perfection every day. When you hear the driver complaining about the bad behaviour of his single-seater during free practice on Friday morning, it’s not the anger of the kid who used to make mistakes and sometimes ended up in the wall because of his impatience.”
Max Verstappen isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, though, and was booed loudly when he stood on the podium after beating Lewis Hamilton to victory at the United States Grand Prix last year. Perhaps his detractors will get some joy in the new season and see his dominance come to an end – but we won’t bet on it.
