In a spectacular display of his talent, Max Verstappen, the reigning world champion, scored a spectacular triumph at Sunday’s Monaco Grand Prix. This remarkable victory not only cemented his position at the top of the Drivers’ Championship, but also dealt a blow to his team-mate Sergio Perez, who was having a disappointing afternoon.
Verstappen’s triumph was the culmination of a weekend of exceptional performances, arguably his best to date. The key moment that set the stage for his victory was a mesmerizing lap in Saturday’s Q3 session.
In this intense qualifying session, the two-time world champion showed his mastery with an impressive three-tenth of a second in the final sector. This remarkable feat allowed him to overtake Fernando Alonso for pole position, with the Spaniard finishing second behind the Dutchman in Sunday’s race.
Verstappen’s sensational triumph certainly filled his father, esteemed former F1 driver Jos Verstappen, with pure joy. After his frustration with Red Bull after last year’s race at the Circuit de Monaco, this remarkable victory for his son certainly brought a wave of joy and satisfaction, mending any previous dissatisfaction.
Jos Verstappen, feeling let down by Red Bull, has expressed disappointment that they failed to support his son’s efforts to beat Perez, the famous winner last year.
“Red Bull got a good result but at the same time made little impact to help Max get to the top,” Jos wrote in his column on his son’s website.
His third place was due to a mistake by Ferrari at Charles Leclerc’s second stop.
“For championship leader Max, the strategy chosen did not help in that sense. It turned completely in favor of Checo (Perez).
“It was disappointing for me and I would have preferred it to be different for the championship leader. I’d rather they follow Max, but of course I’m not entirely objective. I think 10 points from Max have been thrown here.
With Perez finishing P16 on Sunday, Verstappen’s father’s happiness is sure to increase knowing that even if the 25-year-old missed a race, he would still hold onto the championship lead.
Furthermore, Verstappen’s win marked his 39th triumph for Red Bull, beating Sebastian Vettel’s record of 38 wins for the renowned Milton Keynes team. This achievement reinforces Verstappen’s remarkable legacy in the Red Bull racing family.
As mentioned, a large part of the Dutchman’s victory was down to his amazing lap in Q3 on Saturday, where he “gave it all”.
“We knew it was going to be a bit of a struggle for us this weekend to get everything together, in qualifying you have to give it your all…” Verstappen said on Saturday after taking pole position.
“I gave it my all, I overcame some barriers, but you have to be on pole here.”
