F1 2023 awards: Max Verstappen away and clear as rivals fail to show up

Red Bull dominated, Las Vegas lit up late season and McLaren’s resurgence left Mercedes and Ferrari in the shade

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.

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