We Are Falling - And Rising Again

☆ "It's a shame [they] didn't get the championship ticked off but HE definitely will." ☆ AND HE DID. HE JUST DID. ☆ 2021/12/12

[maxverstockexchange]

"Do not stand at my grave and cry, I am not there; I did not die," but it’s about how no matter the outcome of the title, this has been Max's best season to date, he's humbled McLaren every step of the way and shown the world exactly what it means to be a champion- four times and forevermore. He's had so many stunning performances this year I would genuinely struggle to list them all. The Imola overtake alone will be remembered long after this season is done. His Abu Dhabi pole lap was transcendental. Suzuka, Monza, Brazil. No one else can do it- there is and will only ever be one Max Verstappen.

[sixdegreesofbali-deactivated202]

I kinda hate this season💀 Everytime I've made my peace with Max not winning the WDC something happens that pulls me right back in and gets me stressed again😫

My brain keeps telling me 'No. He's not winning this thing. Gap is still too big' but then my heart is like 'But maaaaaybe' and I start dreaming of the celebrations😭

The slight hope is killing me.

[justuseyourwings]

💯

[grogumaximus]

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Hinch: In the last four Grand Prix weekends, Max has cut 64 points out of the lead, he now is only 40 points back, and there are five weekends remaining. it's a maths problem. And when you really dive into it over the last few, I don't think he's had the fastest car. I think he is exceptional, I think Redbull has executed brilliantly. (...) But No, I don't think the Redbull is the quicker car at the minute, but I think it's close enough that if they miss a little bit, they being McLaren, Max just doesn't miss, does he? The Redbull's gotten to a point where he can be consistently good with it, and he just doesn't make mistakes. So, it is still gonna take a bit of luck, it's still gonna take some faltering on the McLaren side for it to happen, but yeah, it's the numbers don't lie. It is very possible that Max could still win this championship.

Clarkson: (...) What makes this guy so good?

Hinch: I mean, we've been having this conversation for three years now, haven't we?

Clarkson: Is he still getting better?

Hinch: He's not getting worse.

Clarkson: No, he's not.

Hinch: It's not a function of the car like we saw in '23 and even in '23 there were moments where you could isolate certain performances. Fine, he wins from pole and whatever, but there were moments within certain races that you could just see, "My goodness, he is exceptional" even when he's out on his own just in front cruising. And then we've seen him in enough wheel to wheel battles, we've seen him in enough high pressure situations. He had no business winning in Imola, he had no business winning in Suzuka, he is just– He's impenetrable. I mean, he is so capable of extracting 100% out of his car at all times, in all conditions, under any and all circumstances. And I think that's what's so dangerous about him, because there's been plenty of times where he hasn't had the best circumstances, he hasn't had the best car, but he just gets the best out of it, and he's kept himself in this championship fight. He's kept Redbull, it's a bit harsh saying single handedly because Yuki has contributed some points, but basically single handedly in the fight for P2 in the Constructors' Championship. He's 10 points behind– They are 10 points behind Mercedes. That is Outrageous to think about!

Clarkson: Insane. Yeah.

[maxmaxsupersupermax]

Imagine being a McLaren fan though (I don't know how they do it but they exist). Your car has been the fastest all year and you figured: This is gonna be it! We're gonna win the constructors and the drivers and its gonna be great! Verstappen's car is trash and the team is falling apart, this is our year!

And it's all going according to plan, but then Zandvoort happens and its like: Okay I guess Tweedledee is going to win the drivers, thats fine, Tweedledumb will just get p2.

And then after the summerbreak you feel this looming sense of fear, there's a song haunting you and Verstappen wins and then he wins again and Tweedledee puts his car in the wall three times and Tweedledumb can't pass some midfield cars and suddenly people are talking.

They're saying its doable. He could do it. And the music gets louder and you're starting to sweat and Tweedledumb is starting to lash out more and more and he's starting to look more and more desperate and its starting to look more and more likely that a 1, 2 might not happen and that the threat is serious and- where the fuck is that music coming from???

And you hear this maniacle laughter of the Verstappen fans that are starting to turn their delulu up louder and louder and this can't be happening, this has to be a nightmare.

Nearly 70 points in 7 races, its too much, right?

But it's all people will talk about and experts refuse to say its impossible because they all know that that looming presence can and will do the impossible and now you're just in survival mode.

(And I'm the maniacle laughter in the back of your mind)

[dilfgp]

Nine years later, Lambiase now feels that his job every Grand Prix weekend is to be Verstappen’s “dad, a sports psychologist, best friend, worst enemy, everything. You’re his complete circle of friends in one.” “You’re on a boat down a river, and you’re surrounded by a whole load of crocodiles. So you’re dealing with the closest crocodile to the boat. That’s all we’re doing." - Gianpiero Lambiase

from The One Person in F1 Max Verstappen Actually Listens To by Joshua Robinson for The Wall Street Journal

[f0point5]

It’s crazy to think that if at some point last year Max as championship leader had had one weekend as bad as this one was for Oscar Piastri, Lando might have been a world champion

[maxielonceagain]

GP about Max ❤️

”Formula one should be grateful for that”

[maksverstappen]

picture this. abu dhabi 2021. the racing director just made a huge fuck up that favoured your team and adopted son. the opposing team has brought man city's corruption lawyer whose salary is £200k PER DAY to a steward's meeting. you are jonathan wheatley and all you have is a dictionary and your huge balls. you come into the meeting and say 'any does not mean all', a phrase that will technically correct is in practical terms not even true, but you say it with so much confidence and swagger that people are swayed to your side.

you secure the championship and people's hearts.... forever

[f0point5]

None of them could've pulled a 2023. The McLarens have had a VERY clear advantage for ages and they still can't pull a clean season, with only McLaren wins. Even if they had Rocky, they would've fumbled. That car got more and more unstable but no one noticed except for Max, but still he pulled out such a performance. I'm not saying they'd be as bad as Checo was, but look at where Yuki still is. That car is in shambles and Max is getting podiums. THAT'S what generational means.

No margins for errors, 100% every. Single. Time. There's no other like him. And comparing George or even Charles to him is actually an insult

Well, no one could do 2023 in Rocky because it was optimised for and by Max. Probably by what it became by AD2023 most people would have been spinning off the track in it.

But even if any other driver had a car that was optimised for them, they wouldn’t have been able to do what Max did in 2023. And I’m not talking about the grand slams and poles to wins with 20 second gaps. I’m talking about 49 laps on one set of hard tyres to gap his teammate enough to get a pit window that put him in contention for a win from 9th on the grid. Pitting a lap too late in torrential downpour and making up 3 seconds a lap on his teammate on the same tyres to make the undercut work. Managing a break issue to a win by 10 seconds. Yes, a lotttt went right for him that year and when things are on he is ON and that consistent excellence is impressive. But at every moment when something didn’t go as well as it could have, Max was the only thing standing between Rocky and a loss, and he never let it go. Not once. Not for one sector, one lap. And no one on the grid is bringing that to a season. Whether or not they are capable, we don’t know, but the plain fact is no one has proved that they are.

George and Charles can’t even BE in that conversation, and Max was in the conversation when he had cars a lot worse than theirs.

[thissying]

Max vs. Ferrari cone, GP Barcelona, 2025

Chiel: I saw this one in the pit lane yesterday.

Max: Yep, that's mine, yes. No, because Ferrari always puts them really far out and so I said: 'if it happens again, I will break it.'

Chiel: You already said that on the radio?

Max: To that-- The previous race. It's been like that for a few races. I thought if it's there again, I'll run over it completely.

Chiel: Oh you did it on purpose then?

Max: Yes, absolutely.

Chiel: And if it's there again later, I will do it again.

[verstappenverse]

[f0point5]

He may have his faults as a TP but Horner supports 👏🏼his👏🏼golden👏🏼boy👏🏼

[maxielonceagain]

Franz 😂

[sixdegreesofbali-deactivated202]

It's crazy how much my mood depends on how well Max does in F1😭

[countingstars-17]

it's the smile before answering the question for me

[souvenir116]

GP: that’s pole position

Max: WAHAHA oh my god guys! Simply lovely that! Well done to everyone. And yes the car did come alive at night 😁😁

[subaru-copilot]

Max Verstappen stormed to a surprise pole position in Qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix, the World Champion surging to P1 in the final moments to displace the McLaren duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Max Verstappen Pole Position in the headlines.