These days Max Verstappen, lord and master of Formula 1, feels he can do everything. Also breaking a curse that has reigned for some years in the top motorsport category. What does the legend say? That whoever wins the first GP of the year will finish second in the general classification of the season. Do not you think? Take note of.
It all started in 2017 when Sebastian Vettel he won the Australian Grand Prix, his first of the year. At the end of the game, the champion would be Lewis Hamilton. And the second… Vettel, of course.
It was as if a tradition was inaugurated in Australia that year which turned into a curse. So much so that now there are four victims of the spell: Sebastian Vettel (2017 and 2018), Valtteri Bottas (2019 and 2020), Lewis Hamilton (2021) and charles leclerc (2022).
It is important to point out that, the four riders above won the first GP and, not only have they failed to win the championship afterwards, they have always finished as runners-up on the year.
The 2023 F1 season kicked off this weekend with the Max-owned Bahrain Grand Prix starting his title defense on the right foot. At the moment, the Dutch driver seems to care little about what could happen with this mystery that surrounds the top category of motorsport.
In 2022 Leclerc won in Bahrain after the abandonment of Max, who then kept the two-time world champion. This year the Red Bull driver took victory on the Asian continent after the departure of the Monegasque.
In light of the above, it will be a matter of time to see if Verstappen can change history or if F1 takes its next victim. What is true is that the RB19 is in another championship, so it will be difficult for anyone to defeat it, but nothing has been said in F1.
Verstappen, who was the youngest driver to debut, score points and win a GP in the history of Formula 1, the driver with the most podiums in a season (18) and the one with the most points in a championship (416, in 2022) , is now reaching a new milestone: he will try to be the first rider since 2017 to stay at the top of the standings after winning the first GP of the year. In that case, he will make an historic three-time championship.
Source: Clarin
Jason Root is the go-to source for sports coverage at News Rebeat. With a passion for athletics and an in-depth knowledge of the latest sports trends, Jason provides comprehensive and engaging analysis of the world of sports.