Beyond the Flag
Fansided

Racing: 2017 is the year the future became the present

By Asher Fair

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 14: An aerial view of the track including Albert Park Lake during qualifying for the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park on March 14, 2015 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 14: An aerial view of the track including Albert Park Lake during qualifying for the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park on March 14, 2015 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) /
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SPA, BELGIUM – AUGUST 24: Max Verstappen of Netherlands and Red Bull Racing (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
SPA, BELGIUM – AUGUST 24: Max Verstappen of Netherlands and Red Bull Racing (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) /

Formula One – Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen, 19, drives for Red Bull Racing in Formula One, and he has done so since the fifth race of last season. Prior to that, he drove for Toro Rosso, where he made his Formula One debut in the 2015 season.

In his rookie season with Toro Rosso, Verstappen showed flashes of potential, especially given the fact that he was only 17 years old at the time, which would qualify him to be a traditional high school junior or senior. He ended up finished in 12th place in the final championship standings with a top finish of 4th place, which he pulled off at Hungary and the United States.

In the beginning of last season, Verstappen drove for Toro Rosso once again, racking up three top 10 finishes and one retirement in four races. However, after that race, he essentially switched placed with Daniil Kvyat at Red Bull Racing. In his first race driving for Red Bull Racing at Spain, Verstappen ended up winning. In the 16 races remaining on the 2016 schedule, he racked up six more podium finishes en route to a 5th place finish in the final standings.

This season looked like it could be Verstappen’s true breakout season, but things have not gone his way. Mechanical issues after mechanical issues have prevented him from having a very productive season. Yet he still currently sits in 6th place in the standings.

Why? Because when he hasn’t had his races ruined by mechanical issues, he has racked up plenty of solid results. Through the 12th race of the season at Belgium, Verstappen had six retirements. In the six races he actually finished, he did so in the top 5 every single time.

In the 13th race of the season at Monza, he finally finished a race while not doing so in the top 5 this season, and that was because of a grid penalty. He qualified 2nd for the race but was forced to start back in 14th. He ultimately ended up finishing in 10th.

While you could make the case that last year was the year Verstappen blossomed into a Formula One star given the fact that last year was the year he claimed his first career victory at just 18 years of age, this season has shown just how consistently good he can be when his car doesn’t give out on him. Given the fact that he is on Mercedes’ radar as a 19-year-old kid, it is safe to say that Formula One’s future has become its present.

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