Driver of the year
Impossible to ignore, relentless, all but flawless and intimidatingly quick, Max Verstappen was in a class of his own. The records he has achieved on the way to a third title speak for themselves. Nineteen wins from 22 races, 21 podium places, a 10-race consecutive win streak and becoming the first driver to lead for over 1,000 laps in a season. Yet they do not tell the whole story. In amassing them Verstappen demonstrated what a complete driver he is. The car was exceptional, but Verstappen has exploited it with consummate mastery and consistency. A glance at his teammate Sergio Pérez’s performance in the same machinery demonstrates how the 26-year old was operating on a different plane. There were superb drives, coming back from 15th to second in Saudi Arabia, from ninth to victory in Miami – a win that surely broke Pérez who had started from pole – from sixth in Spa and overcoming pressure and challenging conditions in a masterclass at Zandvoort. Verstappen’s dominance may have robbed the season of dramatic tension at the front but his performance cannot be faulted.
