The Albany Gazette - Max Verstappen: Natural-born winner

To win one Formula One world title is a huge achievement but to win four is extraordinary -- he is just the sixth man to do it.

At times this season as he struggled with his new Red Bull car, it seemed Verstappen was tiring of the sport, even suggesting he could hang up his helmet.

Those doubts were swept away on Thursday when he signed a new contract with Red Bull until the end of 2030.

Even by Verstappen's standards, it would take a remarkable effort to turn things around this season -- heading into his 'home' Grand Prix in Zandvoort he is trailing championship leader Kimi Antonelli by a whopping 110 points.

Yet few would bet against Verstappen making a late charge, as he did last season when he fell just short.

At the age of just 28, he already has a place in the pantheon of the greatest drivers, those to have won four world titles or more.

Argentinian F1 pioneer Juan Manuel Fangio was the first, winning five titles in the 1950s while Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton went further with seven each.

Of those only Schumacher, who was champion every year from 2000 to 2004, picked off five in a row. French legend Alain Prost collected four in the 1980s and 1990s and Sebastian Vettel took four in a row from 2010 to 2013.

The first of Verstappen's titles in 2021 was a thrilling, and ultimately controversial, dogfight with Hamilton who was gunning for an unprecedented eighth title.

The two men went to the last race in Abu Dhabi tied on points.

Hamilton led late on when the safety car came out. Officials allowed, wrongly as it turned out, lapped cars to pass the leader, giving Verstappen a clear overtaking run when racing restarted on the last lap. He shot past to claim his first world title.

The next three were as straightforward as you can get -- in 2023 he delivered the most dominant season ever in F1 winning 19 of 22 races.

Last season, he had to scrap for every point and in an inferior car clawed his way back into contention when it looked as though it was a straight fight between the two McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

Verstappen ground out so many points that he ended up an astonishing second to Norris, just two points behind.

- Horner exit -

Many people put the second-half charge in 2025 down to Red Bull's decision to sack team principal Christian Horner after Verstappen fumbled his way to fifth in the British GP.

It was evident that the continued presence of Horner after he was accused in 2024 of sexual misconduct by a female team employee - which he denies -- was causing a rift.

Verstappen's outspoken father Jos was vocal about his desire to see Horner gone and with other teams, notably Mercedes, beginning to circle around their star driver, Red Bull opted to cut the Englishman loose.

All in all, Verstappen junior seems happier with Laurent Mekies as team principal -- both men were all smiles in the pictures released for the contract extension on Thursday.

Verstappen's fighting spirit comes as no surprise given his racing stock. Jos drove in eight F1 seasons while his mother, Sophie Kumpen, was a Belgian karting champion.

He started karting in 2005 and mopped up titles, finishing with a record-setting season in 2013.

Verstappen spent the 2014 season winning races in F3. He joined the Red Bull development squad and when he made his race debut in a Toro Rosso in Australia in the 2015 season opener, he became the youngest ever Formula One driver by almost two years.

He was just 17 years, five months and 15 days old and had taken part in 14 Grands Prix before he passed his driving test on his 18th birthday.

Perhaps becoming a father for the first time has also played a part in a growing maturity: his partner Kelly Piquet gave birth to their daughter Lily last year.

(K.Jones--TAG)