There are impressive Formula 1 careers. There are great Formula 1 careers. And then there are careers of the likes of a certain Max Verstappen that are built on pure brilliance and a relentless streak of domination.
While Max Verstappen already has 58 race wins to his name and he is far from thirty at this point in time, his first victory came when he wasn’t even out of his teen years.
Moreover, while what’s truly fascinating is that Verstappen has bagged each of his victory with the famed Red Bull team, his first victory in Formula 1 came in what was his maiden drive with the Milton Keynes based outfit. His first attempt itself!
Rather notably, that first win came on this very date, eight years back in time at the Spanish Grand Prix.
Lest it is forgotten, right ahead of the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix, Verstappen and Kvyat had switched places; with the former Russian F1 driver returning to Scuderia Toro Rosso as a young and promising Max Verstappen was assigned that Red Bull seat.
While Kvyat decried the move stating that he was never given sufficient explanation, it was a jolly good move for Max at the other end.
And as it turned out, he would never retreat to the old team (junior Red Bull team) or trade places ever since the conclusion of the Spanish Grand Prix that year.
Winning what was then just his 24th Formula 1 race, Max Verstappen didn’t even have pole position for what turned out to be an interesting contest at Barcelona; the Dutch driver would begin from fourth on the grid having done just enough to out-qualify both the Ferraris, Raikkonen and Vettel managing fifth and sixth for the Grand Prix.
However, there was immediate action right at the start inside the opening lap itself as German driver Sebastian Vettel made a move on the outside of Verstappen at turn 4. He, however, would be passed by Verstappen not long after.
But more drama would follow that action packed Ferrari versus Red Bull confrontation.
At the front of the pack, coming out of turn 3, Lewis Hamilton tried to move ahead of Nico Rosberg as the fans saw a closely fought battle between the two Mercedes cars. But as Rosberg defended his track position, somehow Hamilton went wide and off the track and spun. In so doing, he took both himself and Rosberg out of the action.
At turn 4, the race was effectively over for both the Silver Arrows.
As the safety car deployment happened, the order right at the front was- Ricciardo, Verstappen, Sainz, Vettel and Raikkonen.
Vettel and Raikkonen driving a superior car to the Toro Rosso of Carlos Sainz soon made the move happen and lunged ahead. And soon thereafter, as Ricciardo, the then race leader boxed the lap, Max Verstappen became the new race leader. He’d, however, come into the pits one lap later.
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For a while the action ensued sans much of a drama. However, on the sixteenth lap of the race as Vettel made a stop, he’d come out in third, behind the two Red Bull forces.
A few laps later, by lap 28, Daniel Ricciardo boxed for a set of softs. He was the first of the front runners to pit again. Two laps later, Vettel boxed his lap for the similar tyre compound. Resultantly- Max Verstappen came to lead the Spanish Grand Prix with the Iceman Kimi Raikkonen behind his Red Bull.
For a few laps there was a close fight between the two but not close enough which meant by lap 34 the gap was 2.1 seconds.
Eventually, Kimi did fight to close down the gap to race leader Max Verstappen, but he was in turn, being followed by Vettel and Ricciardo. Verstappen kept chipping away.
As the fight between fourth placed Daniel Ricciardo and the third placed Sebastian Vettel intensified, further up in the pecking order, Verstappen remained relatively unharmed.
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Driving with preciseness and a sense of unwavering focus, Max Verstappen kept his head down and approached the checkered flag. There was no dearth of drama as in the last lap both the Renault drivers – Magnussen and Palmer came together- but made it to the end somehow. And eventually, unbothered by the fast approaching Ferraris, Max Verstappen’s Red Bull became the first car to cross the checkered flag.
It was a truly unforgettable moment for young Max. He would since then, cross the checkered flag on fifty seven more occasions taking his current F1 win tally, lest you forget, to 58.
He’s already won more races than the likes of iconic Prost, the brilliant Senna and the great Vettel.
And having said that he’s all of 26 and has astounded both rivals and teammates alike with three world titles to his name. It doesn’t seem as though his gripping winning antics will likely end anytime soon unless a miracle happens from other stables such as a McLaren or Ferrari.
It has been eight years since Max first won a Formula 1 Grand Prix and has since then won seven races each year on an average. If that’s not impressive, then what is?